Trailing Nasturtium is a sprawling annual flower that transforms garden spaces with its vibrant blooms and edible leaves, thriving across hardiness zones 6 through 11. This cultivar of Tropaeolum majus reaches just 6 to 12 inches tall but spreads to a full 2 feet wide, making it equally at home cascading along stone steps, spilling from containers, or carpeting the ground beneath taller plants. Ready to harvest in 60 days, it delivers peppery foliage and brilliantly colored edible flowers throughout the summer, bridging the gap between ornamental and culinary gardening with ease.
Full Sun
Moderate
6-11
12in H x 24in W
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Moderate
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The real draw of trailing nasturtium lies in its dual identity: it works as a decorative ground cover while simultaneously producing peppery leaves and edible blooms for your salads. Its low, wide-spreading habit covers substantial ground without requiring vertical support, and it thrives in full sun with moderate water. Plant it closer together for dense coverage or space it further apart to weave it among other annuals, and you'll have a productive, beautiful border within two months of sowing.
Trailing nasturtium serves double duty in the summer garden. Use it as a living ground cover in flower beds, in front of shrubs, or cascading over the edges of raised beds and stone steps where its trailing habit creates visual interest. In the kitchen, harvest both the peppery leaves and the edible blooms for fresh summer salads, adding color and a distinctive sharp flavor that brings life to simple greens.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Direct sow after danger of frost has passed when soil temperatures have warmed to at least 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date in your zone. Space seeds 14 inches apart for individual plants, or closer together if you want a dense ground cover effect. Seeds will germinate in soil temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Begin harvesting peppery leaves and edible blooms once the plant is established, typically around 60 days from direct sowing. Pick leaves regularly to encourage bushier growth and continued flowering. Harvest blooms when fully open; both the petals and the round seedpods (which can be pickled like capers) are edible.
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