Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca): What You Need to Know

Tree tobacco is a shrubby plant with bright yellow tubular flowers that shows up on roadsides, fences, and dry hills. It belongs to the tobacco family and stores nicotine-like alkaloids in leaves, flowers, and seeds. That makes it risky to eat, brew, or use on the skin without expert guidance. People plant it for looks or find it in the wild, but you should treat it like a toxic plant.

Identification is simple: it grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, often 3–6 meters tall. Leaves are smooth, bluish-green and narrow; flowers are trumpet-shaped and yellow, clustered at branch tips. Seed pods are long and thin and release thousands of small seeds when they split. That seeding habit lets it spread quickly in dry, disturbed areas.

Common uses and why to stay cautious

Some traditional uses exist—ritual or local remedies—but those do not equal safe medical treatment. Extracts concentrate nicotine and anabasine, which affect the nervous system and the heart. People who try homemade tinctures or teas risk nausea, dizziness, fast heartbeat, confusion, or worse. If you see online claims selling tree tobacco as a cure, be skeptical and check with a healthcare professional first.

Toxicity, interactions, and real-life safety tips

Ingestion symptoms can appear within minutes to a few hours: drooling, vomiting, stomach pain, tremors, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, drowsiness, or seizures. Pets and livestock often show trembling, increased salivation, weakness, or collapse after eating leaves or seed pods. If you suspect poisoning, call your local poison control center or emergency services immediately.

Tree tobacco can interact with prescription medicines. Its nicotine-like chemicals can raise heart rate and blood pressure or interfere with drugs for depression, high blood pressure, and Parkinson’s disease. If you’re on beta-blockers, MAO inhibitors, antidepressants, stimulants, or heart meds, avoid contact with the plant and tell medical staff about any exposure.

Practical handling: wear gloves when cutting or pulling plants, keep children and pets away, and bag cuttings securely before disposal. Don’t compost large amounts because seeds survive and spread. For large infestations, contact local invasive-plant control or a professional remover—small hand-pulling often fails if roots or seed banks remain.

First aid steps are straightforward: if someone swallowed plant material and is conscious, rinse their mouth, remove any remaining plant, and offer small sips of water only if advised. Do not induce vomiting unless a poison specialist tells you to. Save a plant sample or take a clear photo to show to health or veterinary staff.

Want safer herbal options? Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before trying any plant-based remedy. They can suggest proven, regulated alternatives with known dosages and side effects. When in doubt, assume wild plants like tree tobacco are unsafe to ingest or use internally.