Nasturtium

Nasturtium is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the Nasturtium family. The name comes from lat. "trophae", which translates as a small trophy, because some parts of the flower are helmet-shaped, and the leaves are thyroid. This plant also has another name - Capuchin. Nasturtium is a real treasure for gardeners, it will decorate any garden, balcony or veranda. A large number of species and varieties opens up huge opportunities for creating an unsurpassed design of your site.

In other languages, nasturtium is called:

• in German - Grobe Kapuzinerkresse, Indische Kresse
• in English - nasturtium, Indian cress
• French: capucine

Nasturtium is one of the herbaceous plants that have succulent branching stems and bright inflorescences. Some types of nasturtiums look like vines. Its leaflets are alternate in shape, and can also be shield-shaped, lobed or palmate-separate. Most species in the center have a long spine.

The flowers of the plant are solitary, bisexual, with a pleasant aroma. They have five petals of red, cream, orange, dark cherry or yellow. Nasturtium is pollinated by insects: bumblebees, bees or flies. The smallest bird, the hummingbird, pollinates the five-leaf nasturtium.

This plant is native to South and Central America.Today, nasturtium grows in almost all European countries and in Russia.

The main feature of all types of nasturtium that grow in Russia is that they are annual plants, because they die at the first frost. Nasturtium mainly grows in moist soil, prefers direct sunlight, so it can be found in open areas or in a small shade of trees.

• seedlings - 2-3 seeds of the plant should be placed in small cups with peat soil. After about two weeks, the plant can be transplanted into open ground, it is better to plant with a glass. Early summer is the best time to plant nasturtiums.
• seeds - grains first germinate in water or in a special solution. When the roots appear and the spring frosts pass, you can start planting nasturtiums in warm soil. In each hole, the depth of which is several centimeters, you need to put 2-3 seeds. And in two weeks it will be possible to see the first shoots of the plant.
• cuttings - the rarest method, which is often used for new varieties of nasturtium. The cuttings are placed in water or wet sand, where the plant takes root, after which they are planted in the ground.

The entire aerial part of the plant is used for medicinal purposes, so flowers and leaves, seeds and fruits are collected. You can use fresh nasturtium or prepare for the winter:

• Carefully cut the stems with leaves and flowers.
• Spread the grass in a single layer and dry outdoors, but only in the shade. It is necessary to regularly stir the plant until it dries completely.
• When harvesting fruits for consumption, they need to be plucked while still unripe.If fruit seeds are needed for medical purposes, then the fruits are already ripe and are additionally dried in a dryer at a temperature of 40 degrees or under the hot sun.
• Prepared raw materials should be stored in fabric bags in rooms with good air circulation. Under these conditions, it can be used for two years. Nasturtium seeds are best stored in cardboard boxes.

The most common and popular varieties of nasturtium:

• Large nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) - has fragile branched stems that reach 2.5 meters. Some varieties have an upright stem, then their height is 0.7 meters. Its leaves are large, round and asymmetrical, light green in color. (photo 1)
• Nasturtium foreign or Canarian (Tropaeolum peregrinum) - presented in the form of a liana, the stems of which can reach up to 3.5 meters. It is characterized by bright yellow small flowers and blooms from mid-summer until the first frost. (photo 2)
• Nasturtium beautiful (Tropaeolum speciosum) - grows in the form of a creeper, reaches a height of 30 cm, has rich pink and yellow flowers. This species belongs to annual plants. (photo 3)
• Multi-leaved nasturtium (Tropaeolum polyphyllum) - presented in the form of a liana, the stems of which reach only 30 cm in height. Flowers are yellow. The plant is characterized by a large number of rounded or reniform leaves. (photo 4)
• Cultivated nasturtium (Tropaeolum cultorum) - consists of hybrids of two types of nasturtium large and shield-bearing. The stems are densely covered with green or purple leaves. The shape and height of the stem can be varied. (photo 5)
• Small nasturtium (Tropaeolum minus) - stems are thin and branched, the height of which is up to 35 cm; leaflets are small, rounded; the flowers are small, only 3 cm with a yellow tint. (photo 6)
• Shield nasturtium (Tropaeolum peltophorum) - is a creeping semi-shrub, whose dark green shoots can reach 4 meters. The flowers have a rich dark red color. (photo 7)

• Pepper-spicy herb, which is best used raw, because after heat treatment it loses its aroma.
• Nasturtium has a refreshing taste with a slight pungency.
• This plant helps to get rid of various pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, aphids, whiteflies, cabbage caterpillars due to its peculiar smell.

Calorie content of fresh seeds - 22 kcal, leaves - 12 kcal.

The energy value of nasturtium is:

• Proteins: 3.58 grams (~14 kcal)
• Fat: 0.6 grams (~5 kcal)
• Carbohydrates: 0.8 grams (~3 kcal)

You can learn more information about the beneficial properties of nasturtium from the video.

Nasturtium is a plant rich in vitamins: it contains vitamin C - 500 mg% (2 times more than in black currant), also a high content of provitamin A, iron and phytoncides. The plant contains mustard glucosides, antibiotic tropeolin, essential oil, flavonoids, salts of iodine, potassium and phosphorus. All parts of the plant have vitamins A, B1, B2, C.

• This plant is used in the treatment of skin rashes.
• Nasturtium is used to purify the blood.
• This plant has antiscorbutic and antiseptic properties.
• The leaves, stems and flower buds of the plant are used for diuretic purposes.
• Nasturtium is characterized by expectorant, diuretic and laxative effects.
• The plant contains a large amount of provitamin A and phytoncides, therefore it helps to cope with various microbes.
• Young plants allow you to eliminate inflammatory processes in the body.
• The components of the herb help in cleansing the body after intoxication.
• Nasturtium helps to get rid of worms.
• This plant helps to cope with pain.

The use of nasturtium in large doses adversely affects the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract.

Contraindications for the use of nasturtium:

• gastritis;
• ulcers;
• with individual intolerance.

• Young plants are ingredients in many vegetable salads.
• Nasturtium is used in the form of decorations for various dishes.
• This plant is added to soups or drinks, and its leaves go well with sandwiches.
• Dried and ground, the seeds of the plant are used as a spice, which in many ways resembles black pepper due to its spicy, peppery flavor.
• Nasturtium fruits are pickled, because in taste they resemble capers, which are quite expensive.
• Extracts are extracted from the flowers, which are part of some varieties of cheese and butter.
• Vinegar is made on the flowers of the plant.

Ingredients (per 500 ml marinade):

• 1 st. a spoonful of salt
• 2 tbsp. spoons of wine vinegar 9%
• 1 st. a spoonful of sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1-2 peas of allspice
• 1–2 pcs. carnations

Cooking:

All ingredients are added to a pot of cold water. Then bring to a boil and boil for up to 5 minutes. Marinade can be added to fish hodgepodge.

If the fruits of the plant are properly prepared, then it tastes and looks like capers, which are a delicacy and expensive product.

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh nasturtium leaves
• 2 fresh cucumbers
• A little green onion
• 1 boiled egg
• Salt and mayonnaise to taste

Cooking:

Cut cucumbers, egg, nasturtium leaves, green onions. Mix all ingredients. Salt and season with mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

• 50 grams of fresh nasturtium leaves
• 20 grams of grated horseradish
• 1 liter of water
• Sugar to taste

Cooking:

Grind nasturtium leaves and horseradish through a meat grinder. Dissolve sugar in water and pour into the prepared mass. Infuse the drink for 12 hours. Strain the infusion with a strainer or a double layer of gauze. It is recommended to drink the drink cold.

Nasturtium has many healing properties, therefore it helps with various diseases:

• with atherosclerosis;
• normalizes the metabolism in the body;
• with anemia or beriberi;
• helps to treat kidney stone disease;
• used to combat scurvy due to the high content of vitamin C;
• lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood;
• improves immunity;
• with bronchitis, pneumonia, colds and other diseases of the respiratory system;
• with inflammation of the lymph nodes;
• helps with menopause;
• is the prevention of sclerosis;
• helps to cope with depression;
• with helminthiasis;
• used at high temperature;
• with pyelonephritis;
• helps to cope with impotence;
• used for manifestations of thrush in children;
• used in diseases of the thyroid gland;
• helps with baldness;
• gets rid of warts;
• has a beneficial effect on diabetes.

All parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes:

• Seeds are part of drugs that are used for various disorders of the nervous system (depression, irritability, feeling of depression). They help to cope with impotence. Infusion recipe: 1 teaspoon of a powder of seeds is poured into 200 ml of boiling water, wrapped in a warm towel and infused for about 2 hours. The infusion must be drunk several times throughout the evening.
• Flowers have a positive effect on the female and male body during menopause, because they help fight weakness, excessive nervousness, signs of depression and melancholy. Flower-based preparations help restore metabolism, and are also used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the urinary tract and kidneys.
• The leaves are used at the first sign of flu or colds, improve appetite, calm the central nervous system, help to cope with high fever.

Nasturtium is the main component in recipes that help with various diseases:

• with chronic bronchitis or pneumonia - take 1 table. a spoonful of chopped stem and pour 200 ml of hot water, then hold for another 20 minutes in a water bath. Let cool and strain through a strainer. You need to use the remedy three times a day for the third part of the glass. You can also use tincture, for which you need 1 table. a spoonful of crushed leaves and nasturtium bud. The grass is poured with 150 ml of 40% vodka, and placed in a dark place for 14 days, from time to time you need to shake the infusion. Then strain and take 25 drops three times a day;
• with cystitis or urethritis - drink 1 table. a spoonful of freshly squeezed juice three times a day;
• at a loss of strength - infusion on wine: first, fresh nasturtium leaves are collected, placed in a liter jar, poured with white wine and hermetically sealed. Then leave for two weeks at room temperature in a dark place. Then the infusion is filtered and consumed three times a day before meals for 1 teaspoon. spoon;
• with kidney disease, urolithiasis and disease - you need to pour 1 table. a spoonful of buds and fruits of the plant 400 ml of boiling water, and then put in a water bath for 15 minutes. Then let it brew for 45 minutes and strain the broth. You need to use the finished product 100 ml three times a day;
• with high body temperature or poisoning - you need to pour 30 grams of fresh nasturtium leaves with 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Strain the infusion with a strainer and take 200 ml 3 times a day;
• with coronary insufficiency or ischemia - You need to take 2 teaspoons. spoons of dry seeds of the plant, grind them into powder, pour two cups of boiling water. Then insist for two hours, previously wrapped in a warm towel. This infusion must be drunk in several doses throughout the evening;
• with beriberi - 100 grams of fresh nasturtium leaves will need 600 ml of boiling water. Then leave for two hours to infuse, and drink 50 ml of infusion 3 times a day half an hour before meals;
• with atherosclerosis or hypertension - You need 2 tables. spoons of plant leaves pour 200 ml of boiling water, let it brew for two hours. After straining, take 2 tables. spoons before each meal;
• for heart disease - you need to take 20 grams of plant flowers, chop, pour 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 1 hour, strain and consume 4 times a day for 3 tables. spoons;
• in inflammatory processes of the lymph nodes - take 30 grams of nasturtium (leaves, fruits and buds), pour 1 liter of boiling water and hold for 20 minutes in a water bath. The broth must be cooled and filtered with a strainer. Boiled water is added to the resulting broth to get 1 liter. You need to take a drink 3 times a day for 1 glass.

Nasturtium is highly valued in cosmetology, because it helps to cope with bacteria and microbes, relieve inflammation, and is also used for disinfection. For example, the essential oil of the plant fights acne and helps wounds heal faster. Therefore, people with problem skin can forget about many problems. The extract of the plant is added to cosmetic products aimed at skin rejuvenation, because it perfectly smoothes wrinkles and gives the skin elasticity.

Nasturtium for hair:

• used to grow and strengthen hair;
• eliminates dandruff;
• fights hair loss.

Recipes for hair with nasturtium oil:

• For baldness or dandruff it is necessary to rub juice from fresh nasturtium leaves into the scalp. The course of treatment is 15 days, then takes a break for 10 days and the course is repeated. To achieve the desired result, you must complete three courses. The procedure for rubbing the juice into the scalp must be carried out very carefully so that it does not get into the eyes to prevent inflammation. In parallel, in the treatment of baldness or dandruff, you should also drink an infusion of nasturtium. To prepare it, you need 20 grams of fresh leaves and flowers, which are poured with a glass of boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes. Then leave the broth for 1 hour to brew and take 2-3 tables. spoon three times a day before meals.
• With baldness the collection of herbs helps a lot, where nasturtium occupies the main place.You need to take fresh nasturtium leaves and cinquefoil roots, twist with a meat grinder to get freshly squeezed juice, which is rubbed into the scalp.
• For severe hair loss nasturtium lotion will be an excellent remedy. To do this, prepare 100 grams of nasturtium (leaves, flowers or seeds), 100 grams of nettle leaves and 100 grams of boxwood leaves. Mix all the ingredients and pour 0.5 liters of alcohol. Leave the infusion for two weeks, then pass through the filter and add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This remedy should be rubbed into the scalp with a hard brush, while making sure that it does not get into the eyes.

Fresh nasturtium leaf juice is used externally for severe burns, warts or polyps. Juice is applied to sore spots in the form of compresses.

When used internally, the juice helps with rheumatism, gout, anemia, diseases of the thyroid gland or liver. The juice of the plant is drunk three times a day, 1 tablespoon.

Nasturtium juice is used for brittle hair. It is necessary to pass the leaves of the plant and the roots of the cinquefoil through a meat grinder, then squeeze the juice and apply to the roots. If a small amount of water is added to the juice, then this remedy is used as a rinse.

This plant is very popular among gardeners, because it has a wide variety of varieties.

Nasturtium can be:

• Dwarf (plant height 15–20 cm)
• Medium (height - 50 cm)
• Giant (more than 2.5 meters)

Among the variety of varieties you can see:

• small plants of a compact size that form a bush of a lush spherical shape;
• varieties that curl;
• plants whose shoots creep along the ground.

Large nasturtium has many varieties, the most popular are:

• King Theodore (bright red flowers);
• Peach Melba (creamy flowers with red spots in the center);
• Salmon Baby (orange flowers);
• Ladybug (pale orange flowers with burgundy spots in the center).

The main varieties of cultural nasturtium:

• Gleming Mahagani (in the form of a bush, whose height reaches up to 40 cm with red double flowers);
• Vesuvius (a semi-creeping plant that reaches only 30 cm, has salmon-pink flowers);
• Kaiserin von Indien (the height of the bush reaches 25 cm, the leaves are dark green, the flowers are red with dark strokes);
• Golden Globe (represented by a spherical bush, its width is 40 cm, and its height is 25 cm, large leaves of a green hue and large double flowers of a golden yellow hue);
• Garnet Jam (plant height is 30 cm, leaves have a light green tint, flowers are red-orange);
• Globe of Fire (reaches a height of 45 cm, the flowers have an orange tint with brown strokes);
• Moonlight (stems are up to 2 meters long, characterized by pale yellow flowers).

The most popular varieties of small nasturtium:

• Cherry rose (height 30 cm, bright red flowers);
• Black velvet (stem height 30 cm, maroon flowers, therefore another name “black lady” is also used).

Nasturtium is a heat-loving plant, so sowing can only be done in warm soil, when the possibility of frost is completely excluded. If you plan to plant seedlings, then the seeds can be sown in pots in early April.

For good germination and flowering, nasturtiums need sunlight. It belongs to light-loving plants, so it is better to plant it in the sun or in a small shade.

For this plant, it is necessary to prepare a fertile and drained land. She loves fresh manure, so she practically does not bloom. To obtain a large number of flowers, it must be fertilized with phosphorus and potassium.

It is necessary to create conditions of moderate soil moisture. For young shoots, regular watering is essential. When the first flowers appear on the plant, watering must be stopped. In case of strong drying of the soil, you can moisten it a little, because with an excess of moisture, the root system begins to rot.