Tropaeolum speciosum

This Nasturtium or Tropaeolum speciosum, also known as the Elegant Nasturtium, is a climbing perennial plant with a tuberous rootstock, relatively frost-sensitive. Its tireless, scarlet red flowers, dress all the somewhat austere areas of the garden, especially evergreen hedges to which it brings new interest throughout summer. It can be used as an annual plant, its rapid growth allows it, but also as a perennial wherever the frost is not too severe, protected by a thick mulch that will help it pass winter without any problems.

Originally from Chile and the Chiloe Islands, Tropaeolum speciosum is a perennial with a fleshy rhizome, hardy in mild temperate climates. In the wild, it is confined to wet areas, in warm and rainy regions, with wet periods interspersed with brief periods of drought that last no more than 1 month. In the garden, it will take over your trellises by clinging to the petioles of its leaves, much like Clematis do. This plant from the Tropaeolaceae family is a climber capable of spreading up to 3 metres (10 feet) in a matter of months. Its flowers, borne on slender branches, form magnificent vermilion red garlands. They are tubular, dissected, and adorned with a very elegant spur, especially when the flower is closed. After flowering, spongy, round, and dark blue fruits appear. They are pleasantly highlighted by the red and persistent calyx of the flower. The leaves are of a beautiful bright green, semi-evergreen when the winter is mild, and divided into 5 to 7 rounded and unequal lobes.

The growth of the Elegant Nasturtium is particularly fast. Nevertheless, it remains delicate to cultivate and requires moistsoil that does not dry out in summer but is sufficiently well-draining to avoid stagnant water in winter. Plant it in an acidic soil, rich in leaf compost. Under good conditions, it will gradually spread without becoming invasive. You can associate it with other original climbers, the Canary Nasturtium and the Sollya heterophylla, to create a melange with exotic charm. It is perfect for covering a fence or ground cover, and useful for dressing up a wall or enhancing the dark mass of a conifer hedge.