Common names:
Garden nasturtium, monks cress, Indian cress
Family:
Scientific name:
Tropaeolum majus
Main flower color:
Range:
Coastal areas of California (non native)
Height:
Stems are up to 3 feet long, but the plant grows close to the ground
Habitat:
Streamsides, canyons, shady locations on coastal bluffs
Leaves:
Round, 4.5 inches across, on stalks of up to 9 inches, with slightly wavy edges and palm-like veins, radiating from the center
Season:
March to September
Tropaeolum majus, a South American species, has become established in coastal regions of south and central California, probably due to spreading from cultivated specimens. Both flowers and leaves are large; the round leaves are about 4 inches in diameter, attached in the center to a long stalk (peltate), and forming a dense mat covering the ground for several square feet. Flowers are colored various shades of orange, red and yellow - either a single color or bilcolored - and measure 2 inches across; they are formed of five rounded petals of which the lower three have inwards-pointing claws near the base, while the upper two have dark veins radiating from the base. In the center are eight short stamens. A thin, tapering nectar spur extends down beneath the flower head.
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