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Where Tobacco Is Born: The Tobacco Plant
Most everyone has heard of tobacco; likewise, most people are aware that it comes from a tobacco plant. But many do not know much else about this crop, despite the fact that it is widely used the world over. It is grown in warmer climes, and it is a highly lucrative crop.
Most everyone has heard of tobacco; likewise, most people are aware that it comes from a tobacco plant. But many do not know much else about this crop, despite the fact that it is widely used the world over. It is grown in warmer climes, and it is a highly lucrative crop.
Used only for its leaves, the tobacco plant is harvested for usage in cigarettes, cigars, and snuff. Tobacco plants are naturally laced with nicotine, which is that highly addictive component that makes people continue to smoke and chew tobacco. The nicotine is concentrated in the leaves of the plant.
One interesting fact about the tobacco plant is that it occurs naturally only in a few places; North and South America are two of the continents where the tobacco plant is indigenous. This plant has been around for a very long time, since it is known that many years ago, it was believed to have a medicinal use.
Very few have ever actually seen a tobacco plant, so it may be a surprise to find that it resembles a bush. These tobacco plants have a shallow root system, which means they do not grow too far into the earth. Only the leaves are harvested since that is the only usable part of the tobacco plant. Surprisingly, these leaves are typically a pinkish hue, and their size varies slightly from plant to plant.
These tobacco plants produce quite a bit of leafy material that is then harvested. The fresh leaves have to be dried out, and after the aging process, they are turned into a variety of products. The dry leaves are rolled into cigarettes or cigars, or they are made into chewing tobacco.
The tobacco plant has been used in this fashion for many years. It is believed that the fact that nicotine, again highly addictive, is contained within the leaves of the tobacco plant is the reason that people have continued to cultivate this crop. Today, hundreds of years since the tobacco plant is believed to have been discovered, it is the most grown inedible crop in the world.