Continuous blooms, loves heat, pest resistant!
Nicotiana Aztec
Nicotiana Aztec are the longest blooming, pest and disease free summer flowers I have ever grown! I started it from seed donated by Seeds of Change to a public garden where I volunteer (the Farm + Food Lab in Irvine, CA). But that was a couple of years ago and I’ve had the lovely flowers return each year! They self sow in my zone 9 garden and bloom about 8 months of the year here. They need no deadheading as the spent blooms just fall off as new ones open. But best of all is the scent! Described as a combination of jasmine and tuberose, it is heavenly! Note that the flowers close during the middle of the day, but from dusk to dawn, the flowers are intoxicatingly fragrant! In a happy accident I planted them in a bed under our bedroom window and not far from our patio where we enjoy their scent all spring and summer long.
Sadly, Seeds of Change seed company no longer carries the seed, but in an internet search I found them at Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. I started the seeds indoors when I first grew them, but given that they now self sow in my garden, they could probably be direct sown as well. For directions on sowing seeds see my post on Seed Starting Tips or watch my video How to Plant Seeds in Pots and Containers.
Plant Details
AZTEC NICOTIANA (JASMINE SCENTED)
Nicotiana alata
Tender Reseeding Annual
Height: 3-4′
Flowers: White, 1 inch diameter
Exposure: Sun, part sun
Water: Normal (not drought tolerant)
Sow: on surface of soil, soil temperature 65-80 degrees
Germination: 6-14 days
Plant Spacing: 8-12 inches apart
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