Nasturtium Jewel Cherry Rose

Nasturtium Jewel Cherry Rose Seeds

(Tropaeolum minus — Jewel Series — Compact Dwarf — Open-Pollinated)

Nasturtium Jewel Cherry Rose is a Tropaeolum minus — the Small Nasturtium — an open-pollinated dwarf annual of 25–30 cm producing a uniform, saturated cherry-rose flower color on compact mounding plants. It belongs to the Jewel series, a group of dwarf nasturtiums selected for compactness, early flowering, and color uniformity — varieties that priorities a clean, controlled habit over the sprawling vigor of trailing types. Within the Jewel series, Cherry Rose is the warm-pink representative, occupying a distinct color position in the nasturtium palette that sits between the deep reds and the soft creams — a pure, glowing cherry rose that carries both warmth and luminosity simultaneously.

The variety has been reselected for compactness, early flowering, and color uniformity — three breeding objectives that together produce a plant of exceptional garden reliability. Reselection in an open-pollinated variety involves repeated cycles of selecting only the most uniform, true-to-type individuals for seed production, progressively concentrating the desired characteristics within the population. The result in Jewel Cherry Rose is a nasturtium where the cherry-rose color, compact habit, and early flowering onset are expressed with considerably more consistency than in an unselected open-pollinated population — approaching the predictability of a hybrid while retaining open-pollinated seed-saving viability.

The flowers of Jewel Cherry Rose are held above the foliage — a characteristic that distinguishes it from standard nasturtium varieties where blooms sit at or below the leaf canopy. In the compact dwarf habit of Tropaeolum minus, the upward-facing flower position means the cherry-rose color registers with maximum visual impact against the plain green foliage background. The flowers carry a sweet, spicy scent alongside the characteristic nasturtium peppery fragrance — an aromatic quality that adds sensory value to container plantings and border edges where the planting is encountered at close range.

As a cut flower, Jewel Cherry Rose performs with the stem length and flower quality that supports floral design use — the glowing cherry-coral tone mixing with considerable versatility across warm-toned arrangements. The upward-facing bloom orientation means flowers present naturally without manipulation in arrangements, and the vase life of 7 to 10 days is reliable for a nasturtium variety.

Variety Details

• Botanical Name: Tropaeolum minus
• Series: Jewel
• Variety: Jewel Cherry Rose
• Seed Type: Open-pollinated — reselected for compactness, early flowering, and color uniformity
• Plant Type: Hardy annual
• Family: Tropaeolaceae
• Habit: Compact dwarf mounding — non-trailing, non-climbing, top-flowering
• Flower Form: Single, open-faced, upward-facing — 5–6 cm diameter
• Flower Color: Saturated cherry rose — uniform across plants; a small percentage may produce off-type colors
• Foliage: Rounded, parasol-like — plain mid-green, no variegation
• Edible: Flowers, leaves, and unripe seed pods
• Uses: Bedding, border edging, containers, hanging baskets, cut flower, edible flower, companion planting, seed saving
• Germination: 7–14 days at 13–18°C

Key Features

• Reselected open-pollinated Tropaeolum minus — compactness, early flowering, and color uniformity bred into the population
• Single saturated cherry-rose color — uniform, high-visibility warm pink across the planting
• Top-flowering, upward-facing habit — blooms held clearly above foliage for maximum color impact
• Compact dwarf mounding habit 25–30 cm — non-trailing, self-contained, ideal for containers and border edging
• Sweet, spicy floral scent — aromatic quality adds sensory value at close range
• Cut flower performance — stem length and 7–10-day vase life suitable for floral design
• Fully edible — flowers, leaves, and unripe seeds with characteristic peppery nasturtium flavor
• Direct sowing strongly preferred — resents root disturbance
• Poor soil preferred — fertilizing reduces flowering
• Outstanding pollinator and beneficial insect value
• Darkness required for germination — seeds must be fully covered
• Fast germination: 7–14 days at 13–18°C

Plant Information

• Height: 25–30 cm
• Spread: 25–30 cm
• Plant Type: Hardy annual
• Habit: Compact dwarf mounding — non-trailing, non-climbing, top-flowering, upward-facing blooms
• Flower Form: Single, open-faced, upward-facing — 5–6 cm diameter
• Flower Color: Saturated cherry rose — uniform; small percentage may produce off-type colour
• Foliage: Rounded, parasol-like — plain mid-green, no variegation
• Scent: Sweet, spicy floral with peppery undertone
• 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 soften the tough outer coat and improve germination speed.
• Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged during the germination period.
• Germination occurs within 7–14 days at a soil temperature of 13–18°C. As seedlings develop, thin to 25–30 cm spacings.
• If starting indoors, use individual biodegradable peat or coir pots to avoid root disturbance at transplanting — do not use standard trays.
• Allow 70–80 days from sowing to first flowering under typical conditions.

Growing Tips

• Jewel Cherry Rose thrives in full sun 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 compact dwarf habit of Jewel Cherry Rose means the plant is naturally self-contained and does not require staking or support, but the upward-facing flowers benefit from a position where they receive unobstructed light from above to maintain their upright orientation and color intensity.
• Water consistently but avoid waterlogging — nasturtiums are drought-tolerant once established but perform best with regular moisture during the flowering season.
• Deadhead spent flowers regularly to extend the blooming season and maintain the clean, uniform appearance that reselected Jewel series varieties are capable of sustaining.
• Leave some seed pods to mature at the end of the season for self-seeding and seed saving. The unripe green seed pods can be pickled as a caper substitute before the seed coat hardens.

Gulf Planting Season

• Direct sowing outdoors: October to November
• Peak flowering season: December to March
• Note: Jewel Cherry Rose occupies a distinct color position in the nasturtium collection — the only variety delivering a pure, uniform cherry-rose tone across the planting.
• Where Bloody Mary explores the full crimson-to-cream spectrum through open-pollinated natural variation, and Sahin’s Paso Doble pairs dark red and cream in a deliberate formula bicolor, Jewel Cherry Rose concentrates the warm-pink register into a single cohesive color statement.

Companion Planting

• Jewel Cherry Rose carries the full companion planting value of the Tropaeolum genus.
• It acts as a trap crop for aphids, drawing the insects preferentially to nasturtium foliage and away from neighboring vegetables.
• It deters whitefly and attracts beneficial predatory insects that contribute to natural pest management across the kitchen garden.
• The compact dwarf habit of Jewel Cherry Rose makes it particularly suited to close border planting alongside vegetables — its contained footprint allows it to provide companion plant benefits without competing with or overrunning adjacent crops.
• Ideal companions include tomatoes, cucumbers, brassicas, melons, and radishes.

Garden & Culinary Uses

• Jewel Cherry Rose is suited to bedding, border edging, container planting, hanging baskets, cut flower production, and edible flower use.
• In the garden, the uniform cherry-rose color of the reselected Jewel series delivers a more controlled, design-conscious appearance than the spontaneous color variation of open-pollinated mixes such as Bloody Mary — a planting of Jewel Cherry Rose presents as a cohesive block of warm pink that anchors color schemes with precision.
• Planted alongside Bloody Mary, the solid cherry-rose uniformity of Jewel Cherry Rose provides the structural color definition that Bloody Mary’s natural variation cannot — the two varieties complement each other in a combined planting where Jewel Cherry Rose sets the dominant tone and Bloody Mary introduces movement and complexity within the same warm-pink register.
• As a cut flower, the upward-facing blooms and sufficient stem length of Jewel Cherry Rose support floral design use — the glowing cherry-coral tone combining with exceptional versatility across warm seasonal arrangements.
• The sweet, spicy floral scent adds value in close-range applications such as table arrangements and edible garnishes.
• As an edible flower, the uniform cherry-rose petals present with striking consistency on the plate — the saturated color reading with intensity against white and pale food backgrounds.
• Flowers, leaves, and unripe seed pods are all edible with the characteristic peppery nasturtium flavor.