The Return of the Red Head

 

I recently made the acquaintance of an old friend of Garden Club OPRF. I have really enjoyed getting to know more about the history of this peppery, Peruvian red head.  Her relatives are quite famous and—forgive the name dropping—have been seen along the garden walks at Monet’s Giverny gardens  and in paintings such as the “Dance” by Matisse. Their formal name, Tropaeolum majus was given to them by Carl Linnaeus, the botanist, in reference to an ancient custom: After a victorious battle, the Romans would hang the shields and helmets of the vanquished on a trophy pole called a tropaeum.  Linnaeus was reminded of the shield and bloody helmets by the round leaves and the red flowers on the plant we know as Nasturtium.

The first Tropaeolum species was imported from Peru into Spain by the Spanish botanist Nicolas Monardes in the 16th century. In 1569 Monardes published Joyful News out of the Newe Founde Worlde wherein he described the plants and animals discovered in South America. In 1597 the English herbalist, John Gerard, wrote that he received the seeds in Europe and called the plant “Indian Cresses.”  The Americas were known as the Indies at this time and the plant leaves were used as a salad ingredient.

The herbaceous Nasturtiums are valued as ornamentals, food, companion plants (for garden pest control), herbal teas, medicines, and ingredients in such things as cosmetics and varnish. Herbaceous plants, also known as herbs, are plants whose leaves and stems die down to the ground at the end of the growing season. An herbaceous plant can be an annual, biennial or perennial. An herb is a seed producing plant with edible leaves and flowers.  A spice on the other hand, is a mixture of dried berries, fruits and barks used for flavoring of food. All of the Nasturtium’s above ground parts are edible. There are many recipes utilizing the leaves and flowers but even the seeds have been used as substitutes for capers and pepper.

In addition to its place in cuisine, herbal medicine, botany, and horticulture, the Nasturtium holds a place in the history of optics. Das Elisabeth Linné-Phänomen, or the Elizabeth Linnæus Phenomenon, is the name given to the phenomenon of “Flashing Flowers. Especially at dusk, the orange flowers may appear to emit small “flashes.” Once believed to be an electrical phenomenon, it is today thought to be an optical reaction in the human eye caused by the contrast between the orange flowers and the surrounding green leaves. The phenomenon is named after Elisabeth Christina von Linné, one of Carl Linnaeus’s daughters, who discovered it at age 19.

I am told that in 1942 Oak Park school children voted the Nasturtium their favorite flower. It is easy to understand why.  Nasturtiums have large seeds easily handled by children for planting directly into the ground.  A nasturtium is an annual plant in the USDA hardiness zones 3-10 but can be a perennial in climates that don’t have freezing temperatures.  Nasturtiums are easy to grow and thrive in full sun and well-draining soil and when watered about once a week. The lovely flowers range in color from bright red, orange, and yellow to a soft cream color. The flowers can be used as a decoration or eaten in a salad (as long as no pesticides have been used on them). The flowers and leaves should be gently washed and dried before using.

Nasturtium by Bobbie Raymond LarsonIn 1997 club member Bobbie Raymond Larson designed our club logo using the Nasturtium. Come the September Friendship meeting, look for a reappearance of this design on the new membership guide.