(Edible) Nasturtium Tropaeolum Majus

 

Close up of Nasturtium Tropaeolum Majus. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2021. Personal archives.

Long years ago, a friend of mine gave me some packages of Nasturtium seeds, of different colors.

Planting them gave me the joy of filling out my tiny garden with beautiful leaves and flowers. The plants spread very quickly, under the sun and the shadow. The cons, there were lots of snails reproducing under them.

I was curious about this plant -that resulted invasive for me-, and I've found out that the whole plant, including the flowers and seeds, are edible. The seeds are used to replace capers.

So I decided to prepare a salad for me, and it tasted pretty peppery, somehow similar to Watercress and Radish. 

The snails began eating other plants, and finally I had to remove all the Nasturtiums. Now I like to take pictures of them at the local park, observe the bright color of the flowers in contrast with the light green of the leaves, which are a little translucent through the sunlight, and one is able to see all tones of greens in one single plant.

Reading on Wikipedia, I see that Nasturtium is a genus of Watercresses and there is a clarification: 

"The genus Nasturtium should not be confused with the ornamental garden plant, usually grown as an annual, that is commonly known as nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus). Though not closely related, the leaves of the garden nasturtium also have a peppery taste."

Close up of Nasturtium Tropaeolum Majus. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2021. Personal archives.

A young lady resting in a "sea of Nasturtium". Here one can see how invasive the plant is. 

Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2021. Personal archives.

From Wikipedia:

"Tropaeolum majus, the garden nasturtium, nasturtium, Indian cress or monks cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, originating in the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. An easily-grown annual or short-lived perennial with disc-shaped leaves and brilliant yellow, orange or red flowers, it is of cultivated, probably hybrid origin. It is not closely related to the genus Nasturtium (which includes watercress)."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropaeolum_majus

One of the most interesting aspects, at least for me that I like to take macro photos in nature, is the plant "Lotus effect", it means the leaves have a "waxy" condition that when water falls on the leaves, they clean themselves. 

Wild radish (Raphanus Raphanistrum)

 

A dreamy view of Wild Radish flowers. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2021. Personal archives

The beauty of the Wild Radish purple flowers. Photo by Myriam Mahiques, 2021. Personal archives

I like to find edible wild plants and flowers, and I try them if I can. Usually I can find a few edible plants at the Huntington Beach Central Park, but I don't dare to cut the plant or flowers, due to respect to the park and all the volunteers working there.

Anyway I can enjoy the view of those plants close to the local lake. Though the flowering period is Summer, the mild weather of California allows the Wild Radish to be in full bloom even in Winter, by the time I have taken all the pictures posted here. All pictures belong to my personal archives, please do not share without my permission.

Close up of Wild Radish leaves.

Close up of Wild Radish flowers

The following excerpts are from Wikipedia:

"Raphanus raphanistrum, also known as wild radish, white charlock or jointed charlock, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. One of its subspecies, Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus, includes a diverse variety of cultivated radishes. The species is native to western Asia, Europe and parts of Northern Africa. It has been introduced into most parts of the world and is regarded as a habitat threatening invasive species in many areas, for example, Australia. It spreads rapidly and is often found growing on roadsides or in other places where the ground has been disturbed."

 "Wild radish is an annual that grows up to 75 cm tall, variously branched to multi-stemmed, with a distinct slender taproot which does not swell like that of the cultivated radish. The stems are green and sometimes purple at the base and nodes, round in cross section and slightly ridged, and bristly-hairy all over." 

Wild Radish in our local environment. Huntington Beach, CA.

Wild Radish white flowers with the purple flowers background.

"The flowering period is between May and October in northern Europe, or between June and August in Minnesota. The inflorescence is a lax raceme, terminal or arising from the leaf axil, up to 34 cm long with up to 42 flowers. The flowers have four white (sometimes yellow or purple) petals, up to 24 mm long, sometimes with dark veins (especially on the underside). Each petal has a rounded "limb" above a narrow "claw", both about the same length."

 "All tender parts of the plant are edible. The leaves and flowers have a spicy taste or aftertaste. The seedpods can be eaten, as can the outer skin of the root (after being washed).It is said that John Walker cultivated sea radish root as an alternative to horseradish after discovering the plant on the west coast of Scotland as early as 1753."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphanus_raphanistrum