Nasturtium Jewel Mix

Tropaeolum majus (dwarf type)

Also known as: Indian Cress, Dwarf Nasturtium


A compact, mounding nasturtium about 30–40cm tall. The flowers are single and semi-double, about 5cm across, in cream-yellow, gold, orange, salmon and deep red, held up above round, light-green leaves. Everything above ground is edible. The leaves and flowers have a peppery, watercress-like bite for salads, and the green seed pods can be pickled as “poor man’s capers”. It grows best in poor soil and is often used in the vegetable garden as a trap crop that pulls aphids away from nearby plants. Compact, mounding habit — no support needed.

Days to harvest Around 50–60 days from sowing to first flowers
Fruit size Single and semi-double flowers, about 5cm across
Sowing depth 1–2cm
Germination 7–14 days at soil temperature 12–18°C. Seed germinates best in darkness, so cover it fully.
Spacing 20–30cm apart
Aspect Full sun to part shade; poor to average, well-drained soil
Frost tolerance Frost-tender — sow after the last frost

Growing notes

Nasturtiums do best with little attention. Rich soil and fertiliser give you lots of leaves and very few flowers.

Soil preparation: Plain, well-drained garden soil is ideal. Don’t add compost or fertiliser.

Sowing method: Soak the large seeds overnight, then sow direct 1–2cm deep where you want them to grow. They can be started in pots, but they don’t like root disturbance, so sow two seeds per pot and thin to the stronger one.

Support: None needed. The compact mounds hold themselves up and don’t trail.

Containers: Grows well in pots, troughs and hanging baskets. A 15L pot suits two or three plants. Let the mix dry slightly between waterings.

Watering & feeding: Water in dry spells, but don’t feed. Aphids may cluster on the growing tips, which is part of the plant’s job as a trap crop. Pinch off the infested tips or hose the aphids off.

Harvest: Pick young leaves and fresh flowers for salads in the morning, when they’re crisp. For pickling, pick the seed pods while still green and plump. Leave a few pods to dry and fall if you want plants to return the next season.

Timing: First flowers around 50–60 days from sowing, then continuous through mild weather.

Key features

  • Compact, mounding plants that don’t trail like the climbing types
  • Single and semi-double flowers held above the foliage
  • Mixed colours from cream-yellow to deep red
  • Edible leaves, flowers and seed pods with a peppery bite
  • Acts as a trap crop for aphids in the vegetable garden
  • Grows best in poor soil and needs no feeding

Short season tips


In Coonabarabran and similar inland zones, sow from mid-September to October once frost has passed. Sow again in late February to March for flowers through autumn until the first frost. Plants struggle in the hottest weeks of summer. A spot with afternoon shade keeps them going longer.

  • Fall
  • Spring

Annual

  • Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, brassicas, radish, beans
  • Nothing specific recorded. Keep it away from seedlings that need protection from aphids, since it draws them in.


Garden nasturtiums descend from wild climbing plants of the Andes in South America. They reached Europe in the 1500s and 1600s, where they were grown as both a flower and a salad green, and the peppery leaves earned the name Indian cress. Gardeners later selected compact, bushy forms like this mix for borders and pots. Nasturtiums have stayed a cottage-garden favourite for their colour, for being edible, and for the help they give the vegetables around them.