Coyote Tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata) is native to western North America from east of the Cascades in southern British Columbia to northern Mexico. It can be found in a variety of habitats, including dry slopes, meadows, chapparal, and is well-adapted to disturbance, drought, and fire. A beautiful, rare plant with strong cultural significance in many Native cultures, Coyote Tobacco is listed as an imperiled species in Washington and Wyoming.
 
The plant's large attractive leaves and tall flowering stalks have a graceful, dignified appearance, and the long tubular flowers produce an exquisitely delicate and sweet fragrance as they bloom in the evening and wither by the following midday. 
 
Coyote Tobacco usually blooms from late spring to fall, with its flowers reaching their peak in the summer months. Coyote Tobacco has a strong relationship with its pollinators, particularly hawkmoths (Sphingidae), hummingbirds, and other night-flying insects. Plants also serve as a host for the larvae of hawkmoths. When hawkmoth caterpillars begin to harm the plant, coyote tobacco displays an amazing ability to adjust its flowering schedule, shifting from nocturnal blooming to morning blooming. This strategic adaptation attracts new pollinators like hummingbirds and bees.
 
Coyote Tobacco has also been intensely studied for another unique defense mechanism against insect herbivores. When attacked, the plant releases volatile compounds that attract specific predatory insects who then feed on the attacking herbivores, providing a form of indirect defense for the plant.
 
Plants can tolerate a wide range of nutrient-poor soil conditions, provided they are well drained. For germination, Coyote Tobacco seeds can be sown directly onto prepared soil in the early spring, after risk of frost has passed. Coyote Tobacco is well adapted to wildfire, and germination may be improved by treating seeds with smoke water or biochar.