Southern Beauty Nicotiana Seeds

Southern Beauty is a Nicotiana tabacum variety offered here as seed for growing the plant. The product card describes a tall, sun-loving annual, 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 feet) high, with broad, light green leaves that are smooth and slightly oily, and delicate pink flowers. The card places the variety's origin in the southern United States and calls it a type; no further history is recorded, so none is added here.

Southern Beauty is the name of this particular variety, listed in our store as Nicotiana Southern Beauty.

Plant at a glance

• Species: Nicotiana tabacum
• Variety name: Southern Beauty
• Height: about 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 feet), according to the product card
• Leaves: broad, light green, smooth and slightly oily; the card says they turn bright golden-yellow as they ripen
• Flowers: delicate, pink
• Site: warm, sunny climate with fertile, well-drained soil

Growing Southern Beauty from seed

Nicotiana seed is very fine and needs light to germinate, so it is laid on the surface and never buried. The figures below come from the variety description and are approximate guides, not results measured on a specific seed lot.

• Sowing: press the seeds lightly onto the surface of moist soil and leave them uncovered.
• Timing: start the seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last expected frost.
• Temperature: the card suggests holding the soil around 24 C (75 F) and keeping it moist.
• Germination: the card gives 7 to 14 days.
• Transplanting: move seedlings outdoors only after the last frost, spacing plants 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 feet) apart.
• Care: full sun, fertile and well-drained soil, regular watering and occasional feeding.

Because the seed is so small, the surface layer dries out quickly. Water gently, from below or with a fine mist, so the seeds stay in place instead of washing together into clumps. Once the seedlings have their first true leaves, thinning gives each plant room before it goes outdoors.

Space and site planning

A plant that can reach 1.5 m or more needs air moving around it. The 60 to 90 cm spacing from the card is a practical starting point, and a sunny bed with fertile, free-draining soil matches the variety description. The card describes the leaves as maturing from the bottom of the plant upward, so the lower leaves are the first to reach full size.

What is not yet recorded

No seed specifications have been saved for this variety yet, so this page does not state a germination percentage, a viability period or a seed size. Days to flowering and a verified breeding history are also missing from the card and are left out rather than guessed. The photographs in the gallery have not all been reviewed against this variety, so the text makes no claims about the plants in them beyond the card.

FAQ

How do I sow Southern Beauty seeds?

Press them lightly onto the surface of moist, well-drained soil and do not cover them. The seeds need light to germinate, so burying them works against the plant. The card suggests a soil temperature of about 24 C (75 F).

When should I sow Southern Beauty?

The variety description recommends sowing indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Seedlings go outdoors after the last frost has passed. The card gives 7 to 14 days for germination, so allow about two weeks before judging a tray.

How tall does Southern Beauty grow?

The product card gives a height of 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 feet). Real plants vary with light, soil, feeding and spacing, so treat the figure as a guide for planning space rather than a promise.