Scientific Name:
Tropaeolum majus
(incl. hybrid cvs.)
Pronunciation:
troe-pee-OH-lum MAY-juss
Common Name:
nasturtium, Indian cress
Family Name:
Tropaeolaceae
Plant Type:
Annual, Vine or climber
Key ID Features:
Trailing annual; leaves peltate, prominent veined, irregular, up to 8cm long; flowers trumpet-shaped, warm, firey colours. Almost always have aphids.
Habit:
Spreading
Form:
Creeping / Mat-like
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Garden origin, South America (Columbia to Bolivia)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 11: (above 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Container planting, Hanging basket, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown include T. ‘Alaska Series’ (variegated) and T. ‘Peach Melba’. Do not confuse with Nasturtium spp., the genus.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Orbicular
Apices:
Rounded
Bases:
Peltate
Margins:
Sinuate
Inflorescence Type:
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Orange, Yellow, Red
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Green, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Mericarps (3) single seeded and indehiscent
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Tuberous roots
Propagation:
Seed
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Caterpillar or cutworm, Slugs or snails, Virus, Whitefly or psyllids (Disease resistant)
Specific Pests:
Melon aphids, Cabbage butterfly
