Nicotine sacred tobacco

Seeds produced by Achene.

Herbaceous plant with an annual life cycle producing large oval leaves and a cluster of pretty yellowish tubular flowers rich in nectar and which will attract many pollinators.

Native to Central America, sacred tobacco has been cultivated since pre-Columbian times and then introduced to Canada via Indigenous trade routes.

The importance of the plant to First Nations peoples is not overstated; creation stories present tobacco as the first plant the Creator gave to Indigenous peoples, intended to foster relationships between humanity and the spirit world.

Effective as a repellent plant to keep unwanted insects away from crops, but it is recommended to avoid preparing it as an infusion as an insecticide; nicotine-based insecticides are highly toxic.