A nasturtium is a bright, cheerful garden plant with round leaves and flowers in warm colors like orange, yellow, and red. The flowers have a distinctive trumpet shape and a peppery, slightly spicy taste, and many kinds are edible. Many gardeners grow nasturtiums both for their beauty and because you can toss the flowers and leaves into salads for a surprising burst of flavor and color.

Nasturtiums are easy to grow, which makes them perfect for young gardeners just learning how to care for plants. They thrive in ordinary soil and don't need much attention. Some varieties climb up fences or trellises, while others stay low to the ground and spread out like a colorful carpet.

Gardeners also appreciate nasturtiums because certain pests prefer eating them over other plants, so they work as a kind of tasty distraction that can help protect nearby vegetables.