How to identify rabbit tobacco in the wild
As a bioregional herbalist, one of the most rewarding parts of my journey is learning to recognize and identify the plants that grow naturally around me. Rabbit tobacco is no exception. When I first saw it in my pasture, I wanted to make sure I could confidently identify it myself.
Rabbit tobacco is a relatively easy plant to recognize if you know what to look for. It is a member of the aster family and usually grows in dry, open areas: fields, meadows, roadsides and even in old, disturbed fields. One of the most important features is the height. Rabbit tobacco can grow up to three feet tall and the stems are often covered in a silvery, fluffy coating, giving the tobacco a somewhat muted appearance compared to other plants.
The leaves are long and narrow (1-3 inches long) and have a striking silver-green color on top, while the underside is covered in soft, woolly hairs. The leaves tend to feel a bit dry and papery, almost as if they are brittle, even when fresh. This unique texture makes it easy to recognize once you touch it.
One of the things that helped me most in identifying rabbit tobacco was paying attention to the flowers. They appear from late summer to early fall and are quite small, with a yellowish center and white, papery bracts that form clusters at the top of the plant. These flowers have a dry, everlasting quality. Therefore, rabbit tobacco is sometimes called “sweet eternal” or “eternal life.”
An easy way to be sure you’ve found rabbit tobacco is by smelling it, especially after a rain shower. The dried flowers and leaves emit a distinct, warm scent that some describe as slightly sweet, even a bit like maple syrup. This smell is a telltale sign that you have found the right plant. Once you recognize its unique look and smell, rabbit tobacco becomes much easier to spot in the wild.