Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India') in the Garden Nasturtiums Database

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb Vine
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Plant Height:	16-20 inches
Plant Spread:	8-12 inches
Leaves:	Fragrant
Fruiting Time:	Late summer or early fall
Flowers:	Showy Other: edible
Flower Color:	Red
Flower Time:	Summer Late summer or early fall
Uses:	Culinary Herb Medicinal Herb
Edible Parts:	Leaves Seeds or Nuts Flowers
Eating Methods:	Culinary Herb/Spice Raw Cooked
Propagation: Seeds:	Days to germinate: 7-14 days at 60-65 degrees F Depth to plant seed: 1/2 inch Sow in situ Can handle transplanting
Containers:	Suitable in 1 gallon
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil

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Comments:

Posted by wildflowers (North East Texas - Zone 7b) on Aug 27, 2014 10:01 AM concerning plant:

Empress of India is an old-fashioned heirloom variety that's been around since Victorian times. The plant is more compact than I had originally expected. It's a bushy type. The rich color of the edible flowers makes a very striking accent to your salad or in other dishes. As usual with nasturtiums, it doesn't need much care and does not require any fertilizer to produce lots of blooms.

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Posted by missmaven on Apr 6, 2018 11:47 PM concerning plant:

There seems to be a few varieties of nasturtium all offered as Empress of India and their looks vary quite a bit depending on the seed company. I've found some trailing types, some with bright green leaves, and others with pink or orange blooms. The original Empress of India as I've seen described in old gardening catalogues and herb encyclopedias is a mounding type with dark blue-green leaves and scarlet blossoms. I buy my seeds at the hardware store.

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Garden Nasturtiums Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus 'Empress of India')