218 · Nasturtium Alaska Variegated

About this plant

Bright cream-marbled foliage sets off flowers in the usual nasturtium range of yellow, orange, and red on mounding plants roughly a foot tall. Grown as a cool-season annual here, finished by early summer. The flowers and leaves are edible with a peppery bite, bees and hummingbirds visit, and aphids often gather here instead of on your vegetables.

Planting it at home

When to plant out

Wait until after our last frost (about mid-February) and warm soil — usually March. Until then keep the pot in a sunny, sheltered spot and bring it in on cold nights.

Where

Containers, Raised bed

Spacing

10"

Size

12"

Care

Sun

Full sun (6–8 h)

Water

Moderate

Feed

A light flower fertilizer every 3–4 weeks while blooming (general guide).

Deadhead

Cut off spent flowers to keep new blooms coming.

Good to know

Grown from

Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers

Life cycle

Perennial

Heirloom or hybrid

Heirloom — saved seeds grow true

Pollinators

Moderate

Days to bloom

50-60 days from transplant

Heat (our summer)

Moderate–High

Cold

Tender (frost-sensitive)

Color

Mixed

Edible

Yes. Flowers and leaves, peppery (UA and UMN Extension).