The Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) belongs to Solanaceae (the Nightshade family). It is a perennial herb that is native to the tropical areas of South America. The stem is erect and can reach 1.5-2 m in height. The leaves are large, elliptic, alternated and covered with dense woolly hairs. The racemes are borne on the stem apices and bloom pale pink or yellow tubular flowers from July and August. Tobacco has long been in use as an entheogen in the Americas. However, after discovery of a new continent, it quickly became popularized as a recreational drug in Europe and through all over world. At the flowering stage, about 20 leaves are harvested from each plant.
Photo 23th-24th and bottom show tobacco drying by greenhouses. Ninohe City in Iwate Prefecture will be Japan's largest producer of leaf tobacco in 2023.