The most common use of the nasturtium plant in cultivation is as an ornamental flower. It grows easily and prolifically, and is a self-seeding annual.


The flowers and leaves of the nasturtium plant.
All parts of the plant are edible. The flower has most often been consumed, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress, and is also used in stir fry. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and pickled with hot vinegar, to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers, although the taste is strongly peppery.
Nasturtiums are also considered widely useful companion plants. They repel a great many cucurbit pests, like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and several caterpillars. They have a similar range of benefits for brassica plants, especially broccoli and cauliflower. They also attract black fly aphids, and are sometimes planted in the hope of saving crops susceptible to them (as a trap crop). They may also attract beneficial predatory insects.

LOVELY SET!!! wonderful picture , # 1,2,3,4, added in my faves ........ vterezia · 2010-09-18: 02:59

congratulations on such a set! I really like all pictures ! Davorka · 2010-09-18: 03:01

Wow excellent shots! :) ????? · 2010-09-18: 05:23

Woooow, superb set! wildduck · 2010-09-18: 06:25

Wonderful captures! jet28 · 2010-09-18: 06:29

Wonderful! :) sometimes I wonder since green and blue bottle flies are disgusting why are they on flowers? it is impressive lol nice shots!;) onlyricky · 2010-09-18: 07:19

Lovely set Lynda · 2010-09-18: 11:13

Excellent set. farideh · 2010-09-18: 13:41

Great ! These flowers are edible Like the bee too helys · 2010-09-18: 14:11

What a gorgeous set! darfoster · 2010-09-18: 15:30

These are very beautiful macros! miclaud · 2010-09-18: 15:50

Brilliant shots ! finbarr · 2010-09-18: 18:02

Marvellous! davidcardona · 2010-09-18: 19:24

Were the insects intruders..or was it you? Jothindra · 2010-09-19: 01:51

Love this orange set! I also will plant the Orange Nasturtium!!! YUKJA · 2010-09-19: 14:34

These pics are bursting with fresh colors ! I love these flowers, we had many on the side of the street where I lived in my neighborhood when I was little. I love their delicate sweet and a bit peppery smell, and all the colors they come in: orange, yellow, red, burgundy and even white. I had once flowers in the salad at a restaurant and they tasted wonderful and gave a nice splash of color but I would probably never take them for salads from the garden, I like more to look at them and smell them. They are so easy to grow, very unpretentious and grow and multiply fast. Thank you for the interesting facts. You got gorgeous shots with them and insects, I put the last one into my favorites to brighten my day :) redro · 2010-09-19: 18:10

I should try the leaves in salad, THAT I could take away from the garden to eat...they make many many leaves redro · 2010-09-19: 18:12

Very beautiful colours and lovely bees. (Maybe I have a experience to eat them as salad. It tasted as you say:))) skskz · 2010-09-20: 09:23

Wonderful colours. It looks cool to be a bee, bzzz noptek · 2010-09-20: 13:25

blazing colours miltonjacob · 2010-09-23: 03:29

Wow, look at all these colors. I love the last one with that little bee ;) well done my friend : ) photogp · 2010-09-24: 00:52

Though it is one of my favorite flowers I knew nothing of all this! Thank you so much for this post! Contesina · 2010-09-25: 04:27

Superb! pandka · 2010-09-25: 14:53

Very nice shot and interesting description! imrepapa · 2010-09-26: 09:55

Wonderful macros and colours. Congratulations Sdahya. boszorka65 · 2010-09-26: 11:59