Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus

Nasturtium is an edible garden plant whose leaves, flowers, stems, and young seed pods all have a peppery, watercress-like bite. It grows easily in Northeast gardens.¹

Further notes

The plant is not a true watercress or mustard, despite that familiar peppery flavor. Its unopened buds and young seed pods are the parts usually compared to capers; the round leaves and flowers are milder versions of the same peppery plant.²

Footnotes

1. University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Home Garden Newsletter — May 2026,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩

2. University of Minnesota Extension, “Edible Flowers and Late-Summer Herbs,” August 5, 2025. ↩