PlantFiles: Flowering Tobacco, Jasmine Tobacco
Nicotiana alata 'Saratoga Red'

In 2004 I planted 4 transplants into my garden. I collected seeds as they became available and as I remembered to do so. Sometime during the late winter/early spring I sowed the collected seed not expecting much to happen (this was my first experience with starting seeds I'd saved for myself.) Within a very few days, my peat pellets were jammed with seedlings! (OH happy day!)

Then spring came and I started cleaning the 'weeds' out of my flower beds. There was something growing in one particular bed that looked very familiar. Then it hit me...those 'lopsided' seedlings looked just like the nicotiana I'd been babying for a couple of months. I left the seedlings alone (as I usually do when there *might* be a surprise waiting to happen.) Then one day, as I'm planting some of my nicotiana I compared my plants with those that had volunteered in the bed. Sure enough! They were identical!

The fact that nicotiana *does* self-seed (in my area) probably comes as no surpise to long time gardeners...but it was a thrill for me to see it happen. Now I only have to wait to see whether or not the seeds will come true to the 'Saratoga Red' parents.

~julie~