Plant library · Annual Flowers
Tropaeolum majus
Nasturtium is a low annual flower that brings a trailing line of growth to sunny planting plans. At about 1 foot tall, it works best where its stems can spill across the front of a bed rather than disappear behind taller flowers. Its early-summer-to-fall bloom period makes it useful for keeping an open edge visually occupied through much of the growing season.
Use nasturtium along the sun-facing edge of a border, at the rim of a raised bed, or in a container where trailing stems can soften the side without blocking access. Keep it just back from a path edge so its 18-inch spread does not narrow circulation as the plants fill in. In a mixed bed, place it in front of upright annuals or perennials and leave the neighboring planting area open for its lateral growth.
Plant nasturtiums 1 foot apart, center to center, for a connected planting that can knit into a low seasonal cover. Each plant may spread about 1 1/2 feet wide, so allow the outer edge to extend beyond its planting center instead of treating the spacing as its full footprint. A single row is easiest to manage beside a path, while grouped plants can form a broader drifting foreground.
Reserve a full-sun position with well-drained soil. Its low water needs suit bed edges and containers that are not kept constantly wet. Avoid placing it in heavily enriched ground when flower display is the priority: overly rich soil can shift growth toward foliage at the expense of bloom. In very hot-summer sites, some afternoon shade can be useful.[1][2]
This annual occupies its space for one growing season, flowering from early summer into fall. Keep its allotted edge space available through the season rather than relying on it to behave like a permanent groundcover. As flowering slows at season’s end, the opening can be reassigned to a cool-season planting or left clear for bed cleanup and replanting.
Nasturtium forms vary: some selections stay bushier, while others trail or climb. Choose the form before committing it to a narrow border or a support, since vigorous climbing types can occupy far more vertical and horizontal room than a low edging plant. For a scaled plan based on a 1-foot-tall, 18-inch-wide plant, use a compact or trailing selection rather than a tall climber.[1][3]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.