Adding other Smokable Leaves to Pipe Tobacco?

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jdlander

Lurker
Jul 6, 2024
46
89
Salem, OR
I'm new to pipe smoking and loving it. I have been researching tobacco types and trying several. In the process, the thought occurred to me ... "Why do we only smoke tobacco leaves?" (and Marijuana leaves for some people...).

I Googled this, and found out that almost any leaf can be smoked, and that there are over 1500 plants, roots, leaves, and herbs that people smoke. Here is a list of just a few, with their properties and benefits:

TOP SMOKABLE PLANTS Used Since Ancient Times - https://animamundiherbals.com/blogs/blog/top-smokable-plants-used-since-ancient-times

Has anyone ever tried sprinkling some of these into their tobacco blends to try them out? Maybe the damiana or rose (aphrodisiac), mugwort or blue lotus (for dreams), peppermint (for the flavor), or lavender (stress relief).
 
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jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,273
30,308
Carmel Valley, CA
Good luck!
Feel free to introduce yourself- what do you smoke, and in what?

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makhorkasmoker

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 17, 2021
756
1,968
Central Florida
This was likely done for thousands of years before “modern” pipe smoking. Many types of herbs were added to nicotiana rustica and other species of tobacco. I believe deer tongue may be our sole remaining remnant of this practice , and even that is fairly rare. Otherwise we make do with flavorings, extracts or synthetic.
 

Green Hill Hermit

Can't Leave
Feb 1, 2023
391
2,730
When I was a kid I would make homemade corncobs from the field across the road and dry the corn tassels and smoke them, and would often mix Tetley tea from the bag with lavender mixed in. Always have been fascinated by pipes even before I could but tobacco.
 

jpmcwjr

Lifer
May 12, 2015
26,273
30,308
Carmel Valley, CA
And you survived! :)

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Why: It will save time for others when you mention local stores, weather, tobacco prices, availability, regulations, location of photos, wildfires, air quality, etc.
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romaso

Lifer
Dec 29, 2010
2,015
7,757
Pacific NW
I used to smoke American Spirit Pow Wow Blend: tobacco with Sage, Red Willow, Bearberry, and Yerba Buena (Spearmint). Pretty good, but I'd pick the spearmint leaves out, they overwhelmed everything else.
You can still find native blends, often called kinnikinnick, especially at historical reenactments.
 

jbfrady

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 27, 2023
706
2,988
South Carolina
I used to smoke several herbs in my hipster days. Most of them are great - spearmint and lemon balm are my favorites. Many wouldn't necessarily blend well with tobacco, but certain ones might. C&D's Crooner, for example, uses Deertongue.

Were I to suggest any from my own experience which might mix well with tobacco, the biggest notables would be lobelia, mullein, and lemon grass. (Lobelia and mullein are rumored to have been popular smokes with native tribes.) Pop those 3 into a straight Virginia - condimentally - and I'd wager that you wouldn't be disappointed.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,689
31,292
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I used to smoke several herbs in my hipster days. Most of them are great - spearmint and lemon balm are my favorites. Many wouldn't necessarily blend well with tobacco, but certain ones might. C&D's Crooner, for example, uses Deertongue.

Were I to suggest any from my own experience which might mix well with tobacco, the biggest notables would be lobelia, mullein, and lemon grass. (Lobelia and mullein are rumored to have been popular smokes with native tribes.) Pop those 3 into a straight Virginia - condimentally - and I'd wager that you wouldn't be disappointed.
lobelia certainly has been smoked with tobacco and it's meh...
 
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hoipolloiglasgow

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 14, 2023
583
4,310
United States
It is nothing new for pipe tobacco to contain all kinds of different herbs, spices, extracts and flavorings. Cinnamon, vanilla, tonquin, rose water, ginger, cocoa, mint, deer tongue, different flower essences. The list goes on. It is nothing new under the sun and you’d be suprised what some blenders use as flavorings. Gl Pease blends are full of different spice flavorings to bring out Virginia, Latakia, and Oriental tobaccos. Much of it is kept secret by the blender.