Nasturtiums are a culinary and medicinal flower/ herb that is high in vitamin C and have potent anti-viral and antibiotic properties.
They also are also allegedly highly beneficial for nervous depression, constipation, indigestion, sore throats, sinus infections, and eye and skin health. Nasturtium also works as an expectorant and can help break up congestion in the respiratory passages during colds and flu.
Nasturtium is high in sulphur and is especially good at helping to increase energy and prevent brain fog.
Nasturtium leaves have a peppery taste similar to that of Rocket. They can be juiced, chopped and added to salads, or steamed like spinach. The vibrant flowers make a great addition to salads, wraps, smoothies, and soups. Nasturtium leaves and flowers also make a tasty medicinal tea. Fresh or dried leaves can be added to hot water, allowed to steep for at least 20 minutes, sweeten with raw honey if desired.
Crushed leaves and flowers can also work as a natural applied antibiotic for cuts, scrapes, blisters, or wounds. Simply break the flowers and leaves in a little bit of coconut or olive oil and place on the skin. If you wrap lightly with cotton to secure and change twice a day for best results.
Nasturtiums are easy to grow straight from seed indoors or out and are a simple, but effective way to include this healing flower and herb into your diet.
Cabbage white butterflies like to breed on nasturtiums, making the plant as useful in the garden as they are attractive. Plant them in the vegetable patch near your brassica plot, where they should entice the butterflies to lay their eggs away from the vegetables.
What to read next?
Garden Planning Cards
This deck of cards helps you plan which vegetable to grow where, when and how using techniques from our Serious Backyard Abundance Workshop
Homemade Seed Raising Mix
Seed Raising Mix – While you can spend a lot of money on seed raising mix, it is much easier and cheaper to be able to do it yourself.
How to use urine in the garden
Our Urine is high in nitrogen, moderate in phosphorus and low in potassium. It is an excellent high nutrient liquid fertiliser in our gardens