Plants That Produce Nicotine

Nicotine is an alkaloid produced in leaves, roots and other parts of plants, primarily in the Solanaceae (potato and nightshade) family. The best known, of course, is tobacco, Nicotiana. Nicotine is not only the active ingredient in tobacco, but is also used as an insecticide, being extremely toxic at higher concentrations.

Tobaccos

Both cultivated tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, and flowering tobacco, N. alata, contain nicotine, but there are also many species of wild tobacco that have been used by indigenous people for their nicotine content. The toxicity of the alkaloid seems to give it protection from insect attack.

Edible Nightshades

Tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, tomatillos and both sweet and hot peppers contain small amounts of nicotine. Eggplant contains the largest amount, though it is quite low compared with tobacco. Tomatoes have decreasing quantities of nicotine as they ripen, but both green skin and sprouted areas on potatoes have more than the usual amount. Cooking reduces the amount of nicotine by approximately half.

Other Nightshades

Leaves, flowers and stalks of the pituri bush (Duboisia hopwoodii) were used by Australian Aborigines as chewing tobacco; it's very high in nicotine content. Datura, also known as jimson weed, is high in nicotine as well as other toxic alkaloids.

Other Plants Containing Nicotine

Milkweed, papayas, zinnias, coca, club moss, horsetails and marijuana are among the plants that produce nicotine in small quantities.