Nasturtium Bloody Mary

Nasturtium Bloody Mary Seeds

(Tropaeolum minus — Open-Pollinated — Fleuroselect Novelty Award 2019)

Nasturtium Bloody Mary is a Tropaeolum minus — the Small Nasturtium — an open-pollinated annual of 40–50 cm producing an ever-changing composition of dark crimson, coral red, cream, and unique bicolor flowers with intricate flecked patterning. It was awarded the 2019 Fleuroselect Novelty Prize, the European ornamental horticulture industry’s most recognized award for outstanding new varieties, confirming its standing as an exceptional ornamental annual.

The name Bloody Mary references the deep crimson and cream patterning that defines the variety — the bleeding of dark red pigment into pale cream petals creating the characteristic flecked effect from which the name derives. Unlike formula mixes such as Sahin’s Paso Doble, where two distinct variety components are combined in specific proportions, Bloody Mary achieves its color variation through the natural genetic diversity of an open-pollinated population — each plant an individual expression of the variety’s color range. The result is a planting of considerable spontaneous visual complexity, where the interplay of dark red, coral, and cream across multiple plants creates a richer, more layered composition than any single-color variety could achieve.

The variety is classified as a mix containing both mounding and trailing plant types within the same packet, providing natural variation in habit that contributes to the informal, abundant character of a Bloody Mary planting. Foliage ranges from dark blue green to medium green — the darker leaf tones of some plants providing an additional layer of contrast against which the crimson and cream flowers register with exceptional intensity.

Bloody Mary sits within a well-documented historical lineage of decorative nasturtiums. Tropaeolum minus was introduced into English gardens from Peru in 1596, traveling through Spain and France before its arrival. It was cultivated for centuries for the high value placed on its seeds, which were pickled when full-grown but still green as a caper substitute. The plant earned the common name Indian Cress for its aromatic spiciness — flowers and leaves dressing up the foraged salads of the day, seeds ground into spice. Bloody Mary revives this tradition with a variety whose ornamental quality is matched by full culinary utility across flowers, leaves, and seed pods.

Variety Details

• Botanical Name: Tropaeolum minus
• Variety: Bloody Mary
• Seed Type: Open-pollinated
• Award: 2019 Fleuroselect Novelty Prize
• Plant Type: Hardy annual
• Family: Tropaeolaceae
• Habit: Compact mounding and trailing — mixed within packet
• Flower Form: Single, open-faced, funnel-shaped — 4–5 cm diameter
• Flower Colors: Dark crimson, coral red, cream, and flecked bricoleurs — variable, no two flowers identical
• Foliage: Rounded, parasol-like — dark blue green to medium green
• Edible: Flowers, leaves, and unripe seed pods
• Uses: Bedding, borders, containers, hanging baskets, edible flower, companion planting, seed saving
• Germination: 7–21 days at 18–24°C

Key Features

• 2019 Fleuroselect Novelty Award winner — recognized excellence in ornamental performance
• Open-pollinated variety — natural color variation across the full crimson, coral, and cream spectrum
• Every flower unique — no two blooms carry identical flecking or color distribution
• Mixed mounding and trailing habit — natural variation in plant form within a single planting
• Dark blue green to medium green foliage — enhanced contrast for flower color intensity
• Fully edible — flowers, leaves, and unripe seeds with characteristic peppery nasturtium flavor
• Outstanding companion plant — trap crop for aphids, whitefly deterrent, beneficial insect attractor
• Direct sowing strongly preferred — resents root disturbance
• Poor soil preferred — fertilizing reduces flowering
• Excellent pollinator value — bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects
• Darkness required for germination — seeds must be fully covered
• Fast to moderate germination: 7–21 days at 18–24°C

Plant Information

• Height: 40–50 cm
• Spread: 30–45 cm
• Plant Type: Hardy annual
• Habit: Mixed — compact mounding and trailing types within same packet
• Flower Form: Single, open-faced, funnel-shaped — 4–5 cm diameter
• Flower Colors: Dark crimson, coral red, cream, and flecked bricoleurs — variable across plants
• Foliage: Rounded, parasol-like — dark blue green to medium green, plain — no variegation
• Edible: Flowers, leaves, and unripe seeds

Germination Instructions

• Direct sowing is strongly preferred — nasturtiums resent root disturbance and perform best when sown in their final position.
• Sow seeds 1–2 cm deep directly into moist, well-drained soil. Seeds require darkness for germination — ensure full soil coverage.
• Nick the seed coat lightly and soak in warm water for 12–24 hours before sowing to improve germination speed — Tropaeolum seeds have a tough outer coat that responds well to pre-soaking.
• Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged during the germination period.
• Germination occurs within 7–21 days at a soil temperature of 18–24°C. As seedlings develop, thin to 30–45 cm spacings.
• If starting indoors, use individual biodegradable peat or coir pots to avoid root disturbance at transplanting — do not use standard trays.

Growing Tips

• Bloody Mary thrives in full sun to partial shade in poor to average, well-drained soil. Do not fertilize — rich soil or any fertilizing produces lush foliage growth at the direct expense of flower production.
• The same principle applies in Kuwait’s amended raised bed soils — if planting Bloody Mary alongside fertilized vegetables, position it at the bed edge where soil nutrition is lower.
• Water consistently but avoid waterlogging.
• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to extend the blooming season — the variable color of Bloody Mary means that removing spent blooms continuously reveals new flowers of different tones, maintaining the dynamic display throughout the season.
• Leave some seed pods to mature at the end of the season for self-seeding — Bloody Mary will return in subsequent cool seasons in suitable Kuwait microclimates.
• The unripe green seeds of all Tropaeolum varieties can be pickled as a caper substitute before they harden fully on the plant.

Gulf Planting Season

• Direct sowing outdoors: October to November
• Peak flowering season: November to March
• Note: Bloody Mary is the open-pollinated counterpart to Sahin’s Paso Doble in this catalogue — where Paso Doble delivers a predetermined dark red and cream bicolor through formula precision, Bloody Mary achieves a richer, more spontaneous version of the same color vocabulary through the natural genetic diversity of an open-pollinated population.
• The two varieties planted together create a nasturtium composition of considerable depth — Paso Doble providing structural color definition, Bloody Mary providing the natural variation and movement that formula mixes cannot replicate.
• Both varieties share identical cultural requirements and can be direct sown simultaneously in October across Kuwait’s cool-season growing window.

Companion Planting

• Bloody Mary is one of the most valuable companion plants in the kitchen garden.
• It acts as a trap crop for aphids — the insects preferentially colonies nasturtium foliage, drawing them away from neighboring vegetables.
• It deters whitefly and attracts a range of beneficial predatory insects that contribute to natural pest management across the garden. Ideal companions include tomatoes, cucumbers, brassicas, melons, and radishes.
• In Kuwait’s cool-season kitchen garden, Bloody Mary planted at the border of winter vegetable beds provides ornamental value while actively contributing to the health and productivity of the kitchen garden planting as a whole.

Garden & Culinary Uses

• Bloody Mary is suited to bedding, border edging, container planting, hanging baskets, edible flower use, and companion planting in the kitchen garden.
• In the garden, the open-pollinated color variation of Bloody Mary creates an informal, spontaneous display that contrasts with the designed bicolor precision of a formula mix such as Sahin’s Paso Doble — the two varieties complement each other when planted together, with Paso Doble’s deliberate dark red and cream pairing providing structural definition while Bloody Mary’s natural color variation fills the planting with spontaneous movement.
• Planted alongside Tip Top Mahogany, the crimson tones of Bloody Mary echo and amplify the solid mahogany color while the cream and coral components provide the color graduation that a single-tone planting cannot achieve.
• As an edible flower, Bloody Mary is among the most visually dynamic nasturtiums available — the variable flecked patterning means each flower harvested is a unique garnish element.
• The characteristic peppery nasturtium flavor is consistent across all color forms.
• Young leaves are equally edible and are used in the same applications as the flowers. Unripe green seed pods, harvested before the seed coat hardens, are an excellent caper substitute with a pungent, peppery brine character when pickled in white, red vinegar with salt