Trailing Nasturtium Jewel of Africa Seeds - Tropaeolum majus

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' is classic trailing nasturtium that features ornamental green and cream variegated foliage and richly coloured blooms in shades of mahogany red, orange and yellow. The 2.5-meter long vines are perfect for brightening up the flower garden or terrace, happily overflowing from hanging baskets or softening the strict lines of paths and retaining walls. Nasturtiums are famously easy to sow and easy to grow. They will give good results in loose, average garden soil with plenty of sunshine.

Tropaeolum majus, commonly known as Nasturtium, is an annual climbing or trailing plant native to South America. It belongs to the Tropaeolaceae family and comes in a variety of forms, some of which are dwarf and compact, others with a trailing habit. 'Jewel of Africa' is a trailing variety that sends out 2.5-meter-long stems, for a height of about 30 cm. It flowers from June to September, displaying an abundance of 5-petalled tubular, spurred blooms in a variety of shades including mahogany red, orange, warm yellow and pale yellow. Pollinated flowers give way to small, pea-like seeds that are easy to sow. The foliage consists in round, medium green leaves with distinct veining and random creamy white splashes.

Nasturtiums are versatile, easy going plants that will find their place almost anywhere, from borders to rock gardens, pots to hanging baskets. Trailing varieties are especially useful as groundcover plants or for hiding unsightly retaining walls. They can also be trained up a support such as a trellis or fence. They enjoy cool, loose soil and a sunny position. All parts of the plant are edible: leaves and flowers can be tossed into summer salads; seeds can be pickled in vinegar like capers. Nasturtiums can also be grown as companion plants in vegetable gardens or orchards as they create a diversion for unwanted insects such as aphids (whilst providing valuable food for ladybird larvae), steering them away from your precious crops. If your nasturtiums plants become overwhelmed with aphids, try spraying them with a mixture of water and soap.