Wow! y'all must grow 'em big!
When I was cutting tobacco, the plants were about 6' tall (give or take a little bit) after they were topped out. In fact, now that you mention it, an N scale figure would be a good reference for the height of the plants.
When you cut the plant, you turn it upside down, & spear it on to a stake with about 5 or 6 stalks to a stake. By late summer, the bottom leaves are starting to turn yellow, & after a day of sitting in the hot sun, cut plants can turn very yellow. (I'm starting to sweat just remembering that @#$! sun!)
If you want green plants, though, how about chopping up on of those astroturf doormat things? With a little doctoring up, you could possibly get quite a few plants out of one of those.
Keep us posted, & let us know how it goes.