Climbing
Bloody Mary Nasturtium is a strikingly theatrical flower that brings the drama of deep crimsons, maroons, and brick reds splashed across creamy white petals to any garden bed. This open-pollinated cultivar traces its lineage back to the early 1900s, when ornamental nasturtiums like 'Twilight' graced Burpee's seed catalogs, making Bloody Mary a living connection to turn-of-the-century garden aesthetics. Reaching 16 to 20 inches tall with a bushy habit, it blooms prolifically from summer through fall in just 55 to 65 days from seed. Thriving in full sun with moderate water and resistant to deer browsing, this variety transforms both flower borders and containers into vivid focal points.
Full Sun
Moderate
9-11
20in H x 18in W
Annual
High
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What sets Bloody Mary apart is its unapologetic color intensity, those deep crimson-to-maroon petals against white create a nearly theatrical effect that few other nasturtiums achieve. It's a living heirloom that directly echoes the ornamental traditions of early-20th-century American gardening, giving it genuine historical significance beyond just being pretty. The plant's compact bush form (16-20 inches) makes it manageable in smaller spaces while still producing abundant blooms for nearly half the year. Both its flowers and foliage are edible, and it attracts pollinators while resisting deer, making it functional as well as beautiful.
Bloody Mary nasturtiums serve primarily as ornamental bedding plants where their dramatic coloring can anchor a flower border or container display. Both the flowers and leaves are edible, the blooms can be harvested at full open and used to garnish salads or desserts, while the peppery foliage can be picked at any time to add a spicy green element to culinary dishes. This dual nature makes them valuable in kitchen gardens where beauty and function overlap.
Sow seeds indoors in pots 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost date, keeping soil at 65°F. Darkness is required for germination, so cover seeds with soil or keep them in a dark location until sprouting occurs. Seeds typically germinate in 7 to 14 days.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date has passed, spacing them 8 inches apart. Harden off plants gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions for a few days before final planting to avoid shock.
Direct sow seeds after the last frost date, pressing them 1/2 to 1 inch into the soil. This is the recommended method. Seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days under appropriate conditions.
For edible flowers, harvest when blooms are fully open, at this stage they're at their culinary peak. Edible foliage can be picked at any time during the growing season; pinching off leaves and stems encourages bushier growth and more flowering.
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“Bloody Mary is a Renaissance variety, a deliberate nod to the ornamental nasturtiums that decorated American gardens a century ago. It specifically echoes 'Twilight,' a variety documented in the 1902 Burpee's seed catalog, making this cultivar part of a chain of seed preservation and cultural memory. By reintroducing this variety, seed companies have recovered a lost aesthetic from the era when nasturtiums were grown for their theatrical appeal rather than as afterthoughts. The cultivar represents how heirloom seed catalogs work as time capsules, reconnecting modern gardeners to the precise ornamental preferences of their great-grandparents.”