Want an Easy-Care Plant in Your Garden? You Need Nasturtiums

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Brilliantly-colored nasturtiums are one of the easiest flowers to grow from seed. They're sure to brighten up your garden and containers. With their unusual round leaves and cheerful flowers that bloom until first frost, a few packets of seeds are an inexpensive investment for summer-long beauty.

Pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds love these flowers, too! We'll show you how to grow nasturtiums in your own garden.

Nasturtiums are native to the Andes Mountains of Peru. They’ve been grown for centuries because of their easy-care nature and charming appearance. The Impressionist painter Monet, an avid gardener, even planted nasturtiums in his own garden at Giverny!

Interestingly, early herbalists used the plants medicinally, and modern research has found they contain high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants. In fact, the rounded leaves and intricate flowers are not just pretty— they’re edible!

Related: 15 Edible Flowers for Cooking and Garnishing Dishes

The plants come in both mounding and climbing varieties. Mounding varieties trail a few feet, while climbing varieties can be trained up a trellis or fence. The flowers are available in jewel tones such as red, maroon, and orange, as well as bright pink, lemony-yellow and salmon. There also are some variegated types.

Why Trust Us?

I'm a garden writer with more than 15 years of experience growing houseplants, edibles, and landscape plantings. I’ve grown nasturtiums since I was a kid, saving my allowance so I could buy seeds of these pretty flowers to plant around the edges of my parent’s garden.

I also regularly trial new plant cultivars for performance and reliability, and test garden products to evaluate practicality and durability.

Nasturtium Basic Info

Common Name: Nasturtium, Indian cress
Botanical Name: Tropaeolum spp.
Plant Family: Tropaeolaceae
Type of Plant: Annual, perennial in warm climates
Native Origin: Peru
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature Size: Bush types, 1 to 2 feet tall and wide; climbing types 6 to 8 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide
Toxic to pets: According to the ASPCA it is not toxic to animals.

Here’s what else you need to know about growing nasturtiums:

When to plant nasturtiums

Wait until late spring or early summer after all danger of frost has passed and then plant the seeds directly in the ground or in containers. Nasturtiums are a little finicky about being transplanted, so direct seeding in your garden or pots is recommended.

How to plant nasturtiums

Nasturtiums aren't picky about soil, as long as it’s well-draining. They grow equally well in beds or pots. Make sure to plant them in full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight per day. They tolerate part shade, especially in the afternoons in hot climates, though they may produce fewer flowers.

Poke seeds into the soil about ½-inch deep about 6 to 10 inches apart, and water lightly.

Some gardeners soak the seeds overnight before planting to speed up germination, but it’s not entirely necessary. After all, nature knows what to do! They will pop up in about a week to ten days.

How to care for nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are incredibly easy-care, which is why they’re so well-loved. They prefer it a little on the dry side, not soggy. But give them a drink during drought to keep them blooming.

Deadhead, or remove spent blooms, regularly to encourage the production of more flowers. (Here are some tips on deadheading flowers.)

Otherwise, you won’t need to do a thing! They don’t even like fertilizer, which actually encourages foliage growth, but not flowers.

Nasturtiums are considered annuals in most of the country, though in USDA Hardiness zones 10 and warmer they may be perennial. (Find your zone here.)

What parts of nasturtiums are edible?

Incredibly, many parts of this pretty plant are edible! The leaves and flowers have a slight, spicy bite that adds a peppery kick to sandwiches and salads, while the flowers can chopped and added to butters or floated in beverages or to decorate baked goods. The green, immature seeds can be pickled and used as you would capers.

Nasturtium, Alaska Mix

Nasturtium, Black Velvet

Nasturtium, Peach Melba

Nasturtium, Orchid Flame

Nasturtium, Cherry Rose

Nasturtium, Moonlight

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