Mount Pima Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Seeds – Rare Primitive Landrace, Large Pointed Leaves, Pink Blooms, Historic Southwest Heirloom Variety

Minimum: 50+ Seeds

A Landrace of the Sierra Madre

Long before border lines split the region, Pima Bajo and neighboring communities of the Sierra Madre grew this tobacco in mountain gardens far from any breeding program. Mount Pima is a rare primitive landrace, carrying large, pointed leaves and soft pink blooms on a plant that has changed little from the tobacco first cultivated there. This is a genuinely uncommon variety, kept alive today mostly by seed savers and small growers rather than any commercial supply chain, representing a distinct branch of Southwestern tobacco history.

Who Grows Mount Pima Tobacco?
The heirloom seed saver preserving a rare, largely unbred landrace variety.
The ethnobotanical gardener interested in Southwestern Indigenous history.
The tobacco seed collector seeking uncommon landraces beyond commercial strains.
The home curer curious about a primitive leaf type distinct from modern cultivars.

What This Rare Southwest Landrace Actually Is
Nicotiana tabacum 'Mount Pima' is a primitive landrace tobacco associated with the Pima Bajo and neighboring Indigenous communities of the Sierra Madre, spanning the Southwest and northern Mexico. Plants grow upright, 4 to 6 feet tall, with large, distinctly pointed leaves broader and coarser than commercial cultivars. Clusters of soft pink, tubular flowers top the stalk in late summer, drawing moths and hummingbirds at dusk. As with other landraces, plants show more natural variation from seed to seed than a stabilized variety, valued by seed savers for the genetic diversity it preserves. All parts contain nicotine, a toxic alkaloid; handle leaves with gloves, wash hands after contact, and keep the plant from children and pets, since skin contact with wet foliage can cause nicotine absorption. Grown as a warm-season annual; not frost-hardy.

In the Garden & Curing Shed

• Landrace preservation: Grow and save seed to help maintain a rare, unbred Southwestern variety.
• Home curing experimentation: Air-cure harvested leaves to explore this primitive leaf type.
• Ethnobotanical collection: Grow as an example of Sierra Madre Indigenous tobacco cultivation.
• Living-history planting: Grow as an interpretive crop in a museum garden, with clear signage.
• Ornamental border: Let a few plants flower fully for their large leaves and soft pink blooms.
• Moth and hummingbird garden: Plant near a patio for evening fragrance and dusk pollinators.

Growing Mount Pima Tobacco Seeds

• Start method: Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost; seeds are tiny and slow.
• Germination: Surface sow, do not cover; needs light and warmth, sprouts in 10-20 days.
• Soil temperature: Best 75-85°F.
• Transplanting: Move outdoors after frost danger passes, nights above 50°F.
• Spacing: Space plants 2-3 feet apart.
• Sunlight: Full sun.
• Soil: Rich, well-drained soil gives the best leaf.
• Watering: Consistent moisture through the season; avoid letting plants dry.
• Growth variability: Expect more natural variation than commercial varieties.
• Harvest: Prime leaves from the bottom up as they yellow, over weeks.
• Hardiness: Grown as a warm-season annual; killed by frost.
• Safety note: Toxic if ingested; wear gloves handling, keep from children and pets.

Before You Close This Page
This is a rare tobacco landrace tied to Sierra Madre and Southwestern Indigenous history, not a commercial cultivar. Mount Pima carries large, pointed leaves and soft pink blooms on plants that show the natural variation typical of unbred seed lines. It's kept alive today mostly by seed savers rather than any commercial supply chain, making every planting a small act of preservation. Every part of the plant contains nicotine, so handle with care and keep it from children and pets. Grow the landrace that carries a distinct chapter of Southwestern tobacco history forward.