Pronounciation: Tro-pa-e-OL-um MA-jus

Hardiness zones
Sunset 1-14 and 18-24 as an annual, 15-17 as perennial
USDA All

Landscape Use: Cool season garden accent bedding plant, edible and aromatic gardens, ground cover, seaside bank cover, cut flower.

Form & Character: Prostrate and spreading, succulent, tender, round.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, cool season annual (in Phoenix) to short-lived perennial depending on location, moderate to vigorously spreading to 6-feet wide depending on availability of water.

Foliage/Texture: Alternate, orbicular and reniform on distinct succulent petioles; medium coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Solitary, long-spurred axillary single or double flower on long peduncles often hidden below foliage, petal colors range from pale yellow white, yellow, orange red to red and maroon; fruits are a 3-lobed, odd-looking, wrinkled nutlet.

Seasonal Color: Winter and early spring flowers

Temperature: Garden nasturtium has a cardinal temperature range of 35^o to 90^oF with an optimum around 65^oF, thus it's a winter annual in Phoenix.

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Some drought will enhance presentation of flowers and slow vegetative growth.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Sow seed in fall for winter and spring bloom. Propagate double flower varieties vegetatively via cutting.

Disease and Pests: None, though in coastal California, nasturtium plant cover makes an ideal habitat for Helix aspersa, the dreaded European brown garden snail.

Additional comments: Garden nasturtiums are a bright and cheery, informal and somewhat unruly winter annual for Phoenix gardens. Several cultivated varieties of different colored flowers (singles and doubles), dwarf growth habits, and variegated foliage are available.

Culinary tidbit: For all you garden grazers and humans identifying as cows, young leaves make a nice peppery garnish for green salads.