NASTURTIUM (Tropaeolum) – Indian cress

Chile, Peru

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The Nasturtium is an annual from South America, a plant that likes sunshine & poor soil.  This climber, with its disc-shaped leaves and sumptuous flowers, will add a splash of the exotic to any garden. It needs no special treatment, no fertilizer. Pests & diseases do not trouble it.

 

Bees’ Favourite

Tropaeolum’s bright YELLOW, ORANGE and RED flowers attract the bees, who land on the lower petals, climb inside the flower spur and emerge covered in pollen. Once pollinated the flower bows down, resembling Gandalf’s pointy wizard hat in Lord of the Rings. The plant itself will produce other blooms, and carry on doing so until first frosts.

 

 If Blackfly or Greenfly are  a problem, and ladybirds or birds not keeping numbers down, spray the plant with a little dilute washing-up liquid. Aphids dislike the slick coating on the leaves.

Once the individual flowers have gone over, let some go to seed but pinch most of them off to persuade the plant to make more.

 

Nasturtium leaves are a food plant for the Dot Moth and the Garden Carpet Moth; they are used by gardeners to keep the caterpillars of the Large White (Cabbage White) Moth off their brassicas.

 

 

 

Herbal

“According to the daughter of Linnaeus, the blossoms of Nasturtium have been observed to emit electric sparks towards evening. It is seen most distinctly with the eye partly closed.

In Alsace the nasturtium flowers are added to fermenting wine to impart a particular pungency.”

Medicinal Herb Info  .  http://medicinalherbinfo.org/000Herbs2016/

 

Wikipedia lists the Nasturtium under many species of Tropaeolum. Its herbal uses have been antiseptic and expectorant, with Tropaeolum majus useful against chest colds.

The RHS recommends this flower as one for children to grow; all parts are edible.  https://www.rhs.org.uk/education-learning/gardening-children-schools/family-activities/Grow-it-!/grow/nasturtium

 

‘Alaska’ has lime green leaves with creamy mottling and flowers in shades of YELLOW and ORANGE

We have also grown Empress of India, rich RED flowers and dark, bottle-green leaves.

 

 

The YELLOW and ORANGE flowers of ‘Whirlybird’ have no flower funnels, but the bees don’t mind.

 

Other names: Lark-heel, Monks Cress, Nose-tweaker, Nose-twister.

 

 My first Nasturtium had a wealth of leaves but few flowers; friend Eileen said “You want poor soil! Find yourself some builders’ rubble!” This was good advice. Used soil from house plants, builder’s rubble & grit – the poor soil treatment resulted in many flowers.

 Bumblebees found these blooms, flying up to the third floor balcony to visit the Nasturtiums. They were steady visitors through the summer, buzzing from bloom to bloom & brushing my hands with their fur as I tended the flowers.

 

 

 

There have been London winters when I kept Nasturtiums alive by wrapping their pots with bubblewrap when frost was predicted, then removing it when the sun shone. Come springtime, plants were barely ticking over… but sunshine and a bit of water revived them and they were able to grow another year. However, if temperatures had been below freezing for too long the plants were doomed. Nasturtiums are not hardy enough to survive our winters unless kept indoors, in a greenhouse or conservatory.