Hopi Tobacco – Nicotiana rustica

Life cycle: Annual / Ease of propagation: Easy / Hardiness zone: 7-10

Hopi Tobacco is a beautiful plant but beware that all parts of it are poisonous and should never be ingested. Hopi Tobacco has a rich history that I am only just starting to learn, understand and appreciate. I grow Hopi Tobacco in my garden as a reminder of the history and culture that was once dominant on this continent and as a reminder of the cultural abuse of Tobacco. Tobacco was obtained from Native American people and turned into a mass produced commodity that has killed many in the name of profits. Sacred, mindful, honored ritual has become habitual, mindless addiction and death. I am sharing the seeds so that you may also have this reminder in your garden.

Hopi Tobacco was and still is used in sacred rituals or ceremony for honoring the spirits. It is used with respect, mindfulness and honor for life and spirit.

The following pertains in general to Native American relationship with Tobacco in regards to medicine:

“Prayer and offerings are a primary part of making relationship with plants and honoring their essential nature and character. For all Earth peoples, it is absolutely necessary when conducting sacred plant medicine to pray to the plants and to honor them when harvesting with a gift of some tangible object such as tobacco […] The gift of tobacco is an offering in exchange for that which is taken. It tells plant that the person taking it knows that nothing is free, that there are obligations in all actions. Additionally, the prayers awaken the plant from its sleep, from its embedding in the life web, and let it know that something is expected of it.”
-Stephen Harrod Buhner, Sacred Plant Medicine

Reproduced from Hopi Tobacco Program

Commercial Tobacco

• Contains 4000 chemicals with 69 cancer causing agents.
• The leading factor in Second hand and Third hand smoke (infants and toddlers)
• Estimated 4000 children will have tried their first cigarette by the time they are 18.
• Is a cancer risk for: mouth, breasts, esophagus, lung, bladder, kidney, pancreas, brain and cervix.
• Chief preventable cause of illness and death in our society (480,000 deaths per year).
• Gateway to other drugs.
• If you add water to nicotine, it could kill bugs.

Traditional Tobacco

• Harvested in the wild without additives or chemicals.
• Is not inhaled.
• Natural
• Used for specific purposes and at specified times only. Not for
• commercial or habitual use.
• Used spiritually, medicinally, and religiously.
• Requires respect and sacredness.
• Needs to be farmed to sustain resource and availability.

Sowing Instructions

Sow seeds on the surface of the soil, or only lightly cover with soil, and tamp in place after danger of frost has passed. Alternatively start indoors early and then transplant outside after danger of frost has passed.

References

• https://www.hopi-nsn.gov/tribal-services/department-of-community-health-services/hopi-tobacco-program/
• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Nicotiana+rustica