You might think flowers are just there to look nice. Like the lawn ornaments of the plant world—frilly, fragrant, and not particularly useful beyond being pretty. But that assumption? Absolute garden slander.
Because there’s one flower that’s not just welcome in your vegetable patch—it’s practically begging to be planted there. And no, it’s not some rare heirloom only sold in seed catalogs run by barefoot mystics in Vermont. It’s a humble, cheerful plant you’ve probably walked past a hundred times at the nursery without realizing it was a vegetable garden MVP.
This flower fights pests, attracts pollinators, thrives in the worst soil you can throw at it, and even has edible parts if you’re into casually eating your landscaping. Gardeners swear by it, aphids hate it, and bees? They lose their tiny minds over it.
Let’s talk about nasturtiums. The underdog of the flower world. The scrappy companion plant your vegetables never knew they needed.
Why Nasturtiums Belong in Every Garden
At first glance, nasturtiums don’t scream “secret weapon.” They have those round, lily pad–looking leaves and bright, cheerful flowers in firecracker shades of red, orange, and yellow. Cute, sure. But powerful? Absolutely.
Nasturtiums do what every gardener dreams of: they work hard and ask for almost nothing. No fancy soil. No fussy pruning. No mid-season emotional support. They’ll thrive in partial shade, survive in poor soil, and bloom like they’ve got something to prove.
The Pest Control You Didn’t Know You Needed
This is where nasturtiums quietly take the crown. While other plants sit around hoping not to get chewed on, nasturtiums basically say, “Hey aphids, over here!”
They’re what seasoned gardeners call a trap crop. That means they intentionally attract pests—especially aphids, cabbage worms, whiteflies, and flea beetles—keeping those little creeps away from your more vulnerable plants. Instead of losing your kale, you might just sacrifice a few nasturtium leaves. It’s strategic gardening sabotage, and it works.
Even better, they don’t just attract pests. Some nasturtium varieties are thought to actively repel squash bugs and cucumber beetles. It’s not magic, but it’s close. They create a kind of scented confusion barrier, throwing pests off the trail of your tastier crops.
Plant nasturtiums around the base of tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, or any brassicas (like kale, cabbage, or broccoli). They’ll act as bodyguards while also adding a splash of color. Bonus: aphids love them so much, you’ll spot infestations early and deal with them before they spread.
Pollinators Can’t Resist Them
If you’ve ever watched a bee discover a patch of nasturtiums, you’ve seen pure joy in insect form. Those bright, trumpet-shaped blooms aren’t just for show. They’re nectar-packed landing pads that bees, butterflies, and even the occasional hummingbird can’t seem to ignore.
More pollinators in your garden means more fruit. Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, melons—they all benefit from a bit of pollinator foot traffic. And nasturtiums are like hanging up a big neon sign that says “Buffet Open.”
This makes them an excellent companion not just for pest control, but for boosting production across your garden beds. They do double duty, and they do it with style.
You Can Eat Them Too
That’s right—nasturtiums aren’t just useful, they’re snackable. Both the leaves and flowers are edible, and they’ve got a surprisingly peppery, slightly mustardy flavor. Think arugula with more personality.
Toss the flowers into salads if you want to impress guests or make your lunch feel like it belongs in a lifestyle magazine. The leaves can be used like herbs or added to sandwiches if you want to feel like the kind of person who casually eats flowers (in a good way).
And if you’re the adventurous type, you can even pickle the green seed pods. Gardeners sometimes call them “poor man’s capers,” but honestly, they’re good enough to eat even if you’re not poor or pretending to be rustic.
Zero Drama, All Season Long
If you’ve ever had a plant give up on life because you missed one watering, nasturtiums are here to restore your gardening dignity. They are wildly low-maintenance. No fertilizer needed, no delicate transplanting, and no judging you if you forget about them for a week.
In fact, nasturtiums actually do better in poor soil. Give them rich, nutrient-heavy dirt and they’ll grow lots of leaves but barely any flowers. Ignore them a little, and they’ll reward you with blooms for months.
You can plant the seeds directly into the soil once the danger of frost has passed. No pre-soaking, no coddling. Just stick them in the ground, water occasionally, and watch them sprawl like they own the place.
Nasturtiums are perfect for containers, window boxes, or even hanging baskets. Choose a trailing variety and let them spill over the sides for maximum drama with minimum effort. Just don’t over-fertilize—lazy soil equals better blooms.
The Flower That Actually Pulls Its Weight
I used to skip over nasturtiums at the garden center. Too floppy. Too common. Not dramatic enough to compete with the fancy heirlooms and rare herbs I thought I *should* be growing.
Now? I plant them every year. I sneak them into empty corners of my beds, let them tumble out of pots, and let them take the hit when aphids show up to ruin the party. They’re tough, useful, a little wild, and they never seem to mind when I forget to water them on hot days.
If you’re growing vegetables and you’re not growing nasturtiums, you’re missing out on one of the easiest garden upgrades out there. And if you’re already planting them—good. Your garden’s smarter than mine was.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.