Nasturtium, Empress of India (Tropaeolum nanum), packet of 15 seeds

Family:  Nasturtium (Tropaeolaceae)

Hardy to Zones 10 to 12, otherwise grown as an annual, 70 days to flowers

Native to Peru and introduced into European commerce in antiquity, this particular type is a small-leaved, mounding form of the plant that is very well suited for planting in pots or may be grown in profusion as a comely bedding plant. “Empress of India” is an heirloom cultivar that bears masses of vermillion flowers on plants growing to 14 inches tall.  The leaves are blue-green, characteristically formed.  Traditional usage (TWM): prevention of scurvy, promotes appetite, cleansing of the face. Source of vitamin C.  Plant prefers full sun and dry to mesic soils. Easily grown by direct seeding in the spring or summer garden, the seeds should be planted quite deeply (2 to 4 inches deep) in order to produce a strong root system.  Planting deeply in the early spring helps the plants withstand those last naughty frosts which might otherwise wipe clean the slate that was so handsomely prepared with only the best of seeds, aspirations, and heart sighs. Once up, they may be thinned to 6 inches apart and kept free of weeds until they self mulch.  Water only after the soil surface has dried. An excellent choice for a deckside terra-cotta pot, a sunny path, a steep hillside, or the children’s garden.  The seeds are big, always come up and are very interesting germinators, so the plant tends to kindle the nascent gardener’s sense of accomplishment while promoting a healthy attunement to nature.

15 seeds/pkt., Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s