Tropaeolum hookerianum

RHS Plant Profile

Hooker's nasturtium

RHS

Climber Wall Shrub Herbaceous Perennial

A summer-dormant, tuberous perennial climber, to about 1.5m high, with slender stems and palmate, bright green leaves divided into five lobes. Trumpet-shaped purple or yellow flowers are produced from winter to late spring

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Neutral or Acid

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H2

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Tropaeolaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Climbing
Potentially harmful: Skin allergen. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Tropaeolum can be annuals or perennials, bushy, trailing or climbing by twining stems, with simple or palmately lobed leaves and showy funnel-shaped flowers with five long-clawed petals and often a spur
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass in good light with shade from hot sun. Plant tubers at least 15cm below the surface in a very deep container, using peat-free, loam-based compost with added fine grit. Provide support for climbing stems

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown as soon as ripe in autumn and kept cool but frost free (0-4°C), or by division, separating tubers when dormant in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Climber and wall shrubs
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse whitefly and glasshouse red spider mite and whitefly

Diseases

Generally disease-free