Plants with high nicotine content are a fascinating group, producing this alkaloid as a natural defense against pests and herbivores. Found across various families, these species range from those cultivated for their potent leaves to wild varieties thriving in harsh environments, with nicotine levels varying from trace amounts to several percent by weight. Their chemical prowess has made them significant in both nature and human use.
The highest nicotine producers often belong to a specific family known for its nightshade relatives, where the alkaloid concentrates in leaves, stems, or even fruits. Some boast levels so elevated they’ve been harnessed for smoking, chewing, or pest control, while others surprise with subtle traces in edible parts. This diversity reflects nicotine’s role as a versatile survival tool across ecosystems.
Beyond the obvious heavyweights, certain vegetables and ornamentals carry nicotine in smaller doses, often as a legacy of their lineage or an environmental quirk. These plants may not rival the potency of their more famous kin, but their inclusion underscores how widespread this compound is, popping up in unexpected corners of the plant kingdom, from tropical fruits to ancient herbs.
Plants With High Nicotine Content
Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)
Tobacco reigns supreme as the king of nicotine content, cultivated globally for its leaves, which pack 1% to 3% nicotine by dry weight—sometimes more with selective breeding. A member of the Solanaceae family, its leaves are harvested, cured, and turned into smoking or chewing products. Its nicotine potency has fueled both cultural traditions and industrial empires for centuries.
Rustic Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica)
Rustic tobacco, a wild cousin of the commercial variety, cranks nicotine levels up to 9% or higher in its leaves. Native to the Americas, it’s been used by indigenous groups for smoking, chewing, or even as a natural insecticide. Its intense concentration makes it far stronger than cultivated tobacco, though it’s less common in modern use.
Desert Tobacco (Nicotiana obtusifolia)
Found in arid regions, desert tobacco produces nicotine at 2-4% in its leaves and stems, leveraging the alkaloid to fend off herbivores in harsh climates. Another nightshade, it’s a scrappy, wild species often seen as an invasive plant. Its nicotine content is solid but pales compared to its more famous relatives.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Surprisingly, the humble tomato contains trace nicotine, especially in its leaves and unripe green fruit—around 7-10 micrograms per kilogram. As a nightshade, it shares a chemical lineage with tobacco, though levels drop significantly as the fruit ripens. It’s a subtle reminder of nicotine’s presence in everyday edibles.
Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
Potatoes, another nightshade staple, carry nicotine in their leaves and sprouts, with concentrations reaching 15-40 micrograms per kilogram in those parts. The edible tubers have far less, but green or sprouting potatoes ramp up the alkaloid as a defense. It’s a small but notable amount for a kitchen classic.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
Eggplant boasts one of the higher nicotine traces among vegetables, clocking in at about 100 micrograms per kilogram, mostly in its seeds and skin. This purple nightshade’s nicotine is a faint echo of its tobacco relatives, but it’s enough to rank it above other edibles in the family.
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna)
Belladonna, or deadly nightshade, mixes nicotine with more infamous alkaloids like atropine. Its leaves and berries hold small, measurable nicotine amounts—far less than tobacco but part of its toxic profile. A wild, dangerous plant, it’s not cultivated but underscores nicotine’s spread across the nightshade clan.
Petunia (Petunia spp.)
Petunias, bred for their vibrant blooms, retain nicotine in their leaves and stems at levels typically under 1%. As ornamental nightshades, they’re closely tied to tobacco genetically, though their alkaloid content takes a backseat to their decorative appeal. It’s a subtle nod to their heritage.
Coffee (Coffea spp.)
Coffee plants, known for caffeine, also harbor tiny nicotine traces in their leaves—measured in micrograms per kilogram. While it’s not a significant source, its inclusion shows nicotine popping up beyond the nightshade family. The focus remains on its beans, but the leaves tell a broader chemical story.
Coca (Erythroxylum coca)
The coca plant, famed for cocaine, also produces nicotine in its leaves, though at levels below 1%. Native to South America, it’s a fascinating case of a plant juggling multiple alkaloids. Nicotine plays a minor role here, overshadowed by its more notorious compound.
Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata)
Indian tobacco, not a true tobacco, contains nicotine-like compounds and trace nicotine—usually under 0.5%. Used historically in North America for smoking or medicinal purposes, its mild alkaloid content mimics tobacco’s effects on a smaller scale, earning it a spot on this list.
Australian Tobacco (Nicotiana suaveolens)
This wild Australian species packs 2-5% nicotine in its leaves, using it to deter pests in its native dry landscapes. Less domesticated than Nicotiana tabacum, it shares the genus’s knack for alkaloid production. It’s a rugged, natural example of nicotine’s ecological role.
Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)
Native to South America but now widespread, tree tobacco is a shrubby species with nicotine in its leaves and stems, though its primary alkaloid is anabasine. Nicotine levels can reach up to 1-2%, lower than cultivated tobacco but still notable. It’s often considered invasive and has been used traditionally as a pesticide due to its alkaloid content.
Green Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Green peppers, part of the nightshade family, contain small amounts of nicotine—around 7.7 to 9.2 micrograms per kilogram—in their fruits and leaves. While the levels are minuscule compared to tobacco, their inclusion highlights nicotine’s subtle presence in common vegetables, likely as a pest deterrent.
Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium)
This toxic nightshade weed produces nicotine alongside other potent alkaloids like scopolamine, with levels varying but generally below 1% in its leaves. Known for its hallucinogenic properties, its nicotine content adds to its chemical defenses, making it unpalatable and dangerous to herbivores and humans alike.
Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea)
Surprisingly, cauliflower, not a nightshade, contains trace nicotine—about 16.8 micrograms per kilogram—likely concentrated in its leaves or head. Though unrelated to tobacco genetically, its nicotine presence suggests environmental uptake or a minor biosynthetic quirk, adding a curious twist to this cruciferous veggie.
Ground Cherry (Physalis spp.)
Ground cherries, nightshade relatives with edible husked fruits, harbor nicotine in their leaves and stems, typically at low levels (micrograms per kilogram). While the fruit is safe to eat, the plant’s alkaloid content, including nicotine, protects it from pests, aligning with its family traits.
Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
This climbing nightshade features nicotine in its leaves and stems at trace amounts, alongside other alkaloids like solanine. Levels are far below tobacco’s, but its nicotine contributes to its mild toxicity, deterring grazers while adding to its reputation as a semi-poisonous ornamental.
Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata)
A wild tobacco species from North America, coyote tobacco boasts nicotine levels of 2-5% in its leaves, used as a defense against desert insects. Studied for its ecological role, it’s less cultivated than commercial tobacco but prized in research for its robust alkaloid production.
Flowering Tobacco (Nicotiana alata)
Grown as an ornamental, this tobacco species contains nicotine in its leaves and stems, typically under 1-2%. Its fragrant flowers attract pollinators, but the nicotine keeps herbivores at bay, blending beauty with chemical potency in gardens worldwide.
Duboisia hopwoodii
Native to Australia, this shrub, sometimes called pituri, produces nicotine at levels up to 2-5% in its leaves, historically chewed by Indigenous peoples as a stimulant. Unlike true tobaccos, its nicotine content varies widely, reflecting its adaptation to arid conditions.
Celery (Apium graveolens)
Celery, outside the nightshade family, contains minute nicotine traces—around 2-7 micrograms per kilogram—in its stalks or leaves. Likely an environmental or biosynthetic fluke, its low levels pose no effect but add it to the roster of unexpected nicotine bearers.
Papaya (Carica papaya)
Papaya plants carry nicotine in their leaves and stems, not the fruit, at levels in the microgram range. Though not a nightshade, this tropical species may absorb or produce it as a minor defense, offering a surprising twist to a fruit-bearing favorite.
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
This ancient, non-flowering herb contains nicotine at about 0.4 parts per million—far below tobacco’s 20,000-40,000 ppm. Used medicinally, its low nicotine content still aids in repelling pests, proving even primitive plants wield this alkaloid in small doses.