This Dwarf Nasturtium Is a Winning Pick

Virtues: Tip Top Rose nasturtium is a compact, mounded annual plant that produces deep pink, nearly red flowers and round green leaves. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible. Tip Top Rose nasturtium in an All-America Selections Flower Winner for 2020.

Common name: 'Tip Top Rose' dwarf nasturtium

Botanical name: Tropaeolum minus 'Tip Top Rose'

Exposure: Full to part sun

Flowers: The large flowers are the typical nasturtium shape, but they bring something new with their rosy red color, which does not fade over time. Blossoms occur from spring to fall in cooler climates, or over the winter where the climate remains mild.

Foliage: The leaves are a medium green and perfectly round, as is usual for a nasturtium.

Habit: 'Tip Top Rose' nasturtium grows about 14 inches tall and 18 inches wide, with a mounded habit. Its size makes it suitable for containers as well as garden beds.

Origin: The species Tropaeolum minus is native to the mountains of Ecuador and Peru. The cultivar 'Tip Top Rose' was bred by Taki Europe BV.

How to grow it: Start this dwarf nasturtium from seed just after your last frost, spacing seeds four inches apart. Germination can be hastened by nicking or scratching the seed coat prior to planting or soaking the seed in water overnight. Nasturtiums do not do well with transplanting, so it's best to sow them right where they will remain, be it the garden or a large container. They require full or part sun. Flowering will be best in full sun. They prefer even moisture, although they can tolerate some drought. Dry spells will curtail blooming, however. It is hardy in USDA Zones 9–11 and it is grown as an annual elsewhere.

Image credit: Courtesy of All-America Selections