Ahus Tobacco

'Ahus', properly spelled Åhus after the town in Sweden after which it was named, is a compact growing, very early maturing tobacco variety that is a great choice for Northern climates and areas with shorter growing seasons. They will reach thirty to thirty-six inches in height and begin blooming in about thirty days. The leaf can start being harvested as early as forty days.

Originally from Sweden, we received a sample from seed saver, George McGuire (NC MC G). 'Ahus' cures to a dark brown color and was historically used for a cigar or pipe tobacco, as well as in snus or snuff blends.

As a point of interest, the town of Åhus, Sweden was once known for producing the "Three Swedish Sins" – snuff, schnapps, and surfeit of eels. By the late 1800s, most of the town residents raised their own tobacco on small patches of land. The leaves were harvested, dried in barns, and sold to Per Svensson, the "Cigar King," who rolled "Åhus havanas." The last tobacco commercially grown and harvested in Åhus was in the autumn of 1964.^[1]