Nasturtium 'Jewel of Africa' is an eye-catching mix of coloured trumpet shaped flowers in a range of single colours from yellow to red & cream with variegated foliage. It is an annual trailing plant that is great in a hanging basket or looks good trailed through & around other plants especially in the veg patch. It can reach over 1.5m.
The pretty flowers & young leaves are edible with a sweet peppery taste that enlivens a salad with colour & flavour. Nasturtiums also have seeds that can be eaten and are usually pickled and used as a caper substitute.
Nasturtium 'Jewel of Africa' is thought to have excellent companion planting qualities. Its colourful flowers attract bees/beneficial insects that not only eat aphids but help aid pollination of surrounding plants. It is also an excellent sacrificial companion plant – if planted near brassicas, the cabbage white butterfly prefers to lay its eggs on the nasturtiums rather than the brassicas.
An exciting addition to the garden with pretty flowers that are not only edible but loved by bees/beneficial insects and is a very useful companion plant. It does self-seed easily which may be seen as an advantage to some.
