diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/table.py b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
index 2d8adfbd5db3..0556511d5d9e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/table.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/table.py
@@ -410,7 +410,15 @@ def _do_cell_alignment(self):
 
     def auto_set_column_width(self, col):
 
-        self._autoColumns.append(col)
+        # check for col possibility on iteration
+        try:
+            iter(col)
+        except (TypeError, AttributeError):
+            self._autoColumns.append(col)
+        else:
+            for cell in col:
+                self._autoColumns.append(cell)
+
         self.stale = True
 
     def _auto_set_column_width(self, col, renderer):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_table/table_auto_column.png b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_table/table_auto_column.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e0472b3c011
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/tests/baseline_images/test_table/table_auto_column.png differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_table.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_table.py
index ef768d89e935..9919fdc43949 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_table.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_table.py
@@ -121,3 +121,59 @@ def test_customcell():
         cell = CustomCell((0, 0), visible_edges=t, width=1, height=1)
         code = tuple(s for _, s in cell.get_path().iter_segments())
         assert_equal(c, code)
+
+
+@image_comparison(baseline_images=['table_auto_column'],
+                  extensions=['png'])
+def test_auto_column():
+    fig = plt.figure()
+
+    #iteratble list input
+    ax1 = fig.add_subplot(4, 1, 1)
+    ax1.axis('off')
+    tb1 = ax1.table(cellText=[['Fit Text', 2],
+          ['very long long text, Longer text than default', 1]],
+          rowLabels=["A", "B"],
+          colLabels=["Col1", "Col2"],
+          loc="center")
+    tb1.auto_set_font_size(False)
+    tb1.set_fontsize(12)
+    tb1.auto_set_column_width([-1, 0, 1])
+
+    #iteratble tuple input
+    ax2 = fig.add_subplot(4, 1, 2)
+    ax2.axis('off')
+    tb2 = ax2.table(cellText=[['Fit Text', 2],
+          ['very long long text, Longer text than default', 1]],
+          rowLabels=["A", "B"],
+          colLabels=["Col1", "Col2"],
+          loc="center")
+    tb2.auto_set_font_size(False)
+    tb2.set_fontsize(12)
+    tb2.auto_set_column_width((-1, 0, 1))
+
+    #3 single inputs
+    ax3 = fig.add_subplot(4, 1, 3)
+    ax3.axis('off')
+    tb3 = ax3.table(cellText=[['Fit Text', 2],
+          ['very long long text, Longer text than default', 1]],
+          rowLabels=["A", "B"],
+          colLabels=["Col1", "Col2"],
+          loc="center")
+    tb3.auto_set_font_size(False)
+    tb3.set_fontsize(12)
+    tb3.auto_set_column_width(-1)
+    tb3.auto_set_column_width(0)
+    tb3.auto_set_column_width(1)
+
+    #4 non integer interable input
+    ax4 = fig.add_subplot(4, 1, 4)
+    ax4.axis('off')
+    tb4 = ax4.table(cellText=[['Fit Text', 2],
+          ['very long long text, Longer text than default', 1]],
+          rowLabels=["A", "B"],
+          colLabels=["Col1", "Col2"],
+          loc="center")
+    tb4.auto_set_font_size(False)
+    tb4.set_fontsize(12)
+    tb4.auto_set_column_width("-101")