Common name: Nasturtium, Indian Cress
Family: Tropaeolaceae, Nasturtium
Height x width: 1’ tall x 2’ wide, or climbing vine 6-8’ depending on cultivar
Growth rate: moderate to fast
Foliage: rounded to kidney-shaped (reniform), wavy margins, light green, 1-2" long
Flowers: red, pink, orange, yellow, cream, or pastel, long spurred, 2-2 1/2" across, throughout summer; generally single unless noted; some cultivars fragrant
Hardiness: annual
Soil: most, tolerates dry and gravelly, see problems below; flowers best in poor soils
Light: full sun
Pests and Problems: few flowers if excess fertility, heat; leaf spot and wilt; sucking insects with most important being aphids
Landscape habit, uses: groundcover, vine, cut flowers, hummingbirds
Other interest: native to South America; used as a trap crop for aphids; name by Linnaeus from Latin word for trophy--as a sign of victory in war captured helmets were once hung on posts, he compared the leaves of the vines climbing posts to the shields and the flowers to the blood-stained helmets; common name of Indian Cress from pungent flavor of leaves similar to related watercress (N. officinale). Flowers contain mustard seed oil, so flowers and young fruits can be used for seasoning and pickling, leaves can be used for peppery taste in salads.
Other culture: plant in cool location, don’t overfertilize (see problems above)
Propagation: seeds direct sown in garden (difficult to transplant seedlings) with rapid germination (1-2 weeks); cover lightly with soil; ‘Hermine Grasshof’ only by stem tip cuttings
Cultivars: those marked * are more commonly seen; most are hybrids
derived from the species
| Cultivar | flowers | foliage | habit, height |
| *Alaska Hybrids | mixed | variegated | compact, 12-15" |
| ‘Cherry Rose Jewel’ | cherry rose, semi-double | green | compact, 12-18" |
| ‘Double Gleam Hybrids’ | mix, semi-double, fragrant | green | semi-trailing, 12" |
| ‘Empress of India’ | crimson | purplish | compact, 12" |
| *Gleam Hybrids’ | mix, double | green | semi-trailing, 12" |
| ‘Hermine Grasshof’ | bright red, double | green | compact, 9-12" |
| ‘Jewel of Africa’ | mix | marbled | vine, 8’ |
| *Jewel Hybrids’ | mix, semi- to double | green | compact, 12" |
| ‘Moonlight’ | light yellow | green | vine, 6’ |
| ‘Park’s Fragrant Giants’ | mix | green | trailing vine |
| ‘Peach Melba’ | yellow, red blotched | green | compact, 12" |
| ‘Salmon Baby’ | salmon pink, fringed | green | compact, 12" |
| ‘Strawberries and Cream’ | yellow, red blotched | green | compact, 9-12" |
| ‘Strawberry Ice’ | gold, red blotched | bluish | compact, 9" |
| ‘Tip Top Hybrids’ | mix | green | compact, 8" |
| ‘Tom Thumb Hybrids’ | mix | green | compact, 8-10" |
| ‘Whirlybird Cream’ | creamy yellow, semi-double | green | compact, 9-12" |
| *Whirlybird Hybrids’ | mix, semi-double | green | compact, 9-12" |
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