Tobacco Growing in England

Lobelius states that attempts were being made to grow tobacco in England in 1571, and that in this country the plant only reached a height of two or three cubits as compared with four or five in Languedoc and Aquitaine. ¹ There has been some considerable discussion as to what sort of tobacco was grown in England during the seventeenth century. Thus Harrison states: ² “This herbe as yet is not so comon, but that for want thereof divers do practise for the like purposes with the Nicotian, otherwise called in latine Hyoscyamus Luteus, or the yellow henbane, albeit not without great error. . . . The herbe (Tabacco) is commonly of the height of a man, garnished with great long leaves like the paciens (i.e., passions or patience, a dock) bering seede colloured and of quantity like unto, or rather lesse than the fine margerome; the herbe itself yerely coming up also of the shaking of the seede, the collour of the floure is carnation, resembling that of the lemmon informe: the roote yellow, with many fillettes, and thereto very small in comparison, if you respect the substauns of the herbe.” Thus it would appear that, while Nicotiana tabacum was probably first planted in English soil, certain people almost from the beginning turned their attention to the cultivation of the more hardy and from the medicinal point of view not less valuable Hyoscyamus luteus, yellow henbane, or Nicotiana rustica, the seeds of which were probably brought in by Hawkins. ¹ It appears that at first Nicotiana was planted in England not only for its medicinal virtues, but also for the beauty of its flowers.