Herb
Empress of India
A tier
Empress of India is a compact, dark-leaved nasturtium with deep scarlet flowers—Victorian favourite for pots and edges. Leaves are blue-green to almost purple; the peppery bite is strong, flowers slightly milder and nectar-sweet at the spur. Ideal for edible landscaping where colour and heat both matter. Young leaves chop into cream cheese; scarlet blooms finish salads dramatically.
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Unit
Characteristics
Preparations
GarnishPot HarvestSaladStuffed Flower
Traits
CompactDark FoliageDark LeafPepperyScarletScarlet FlowerStrong Pepper
History
GB
Empress of India was selected as a dark-leaf scarlet nasturtium for Victorian beds.
GB
Seed catalogues spread the cultivar across British and colonial gardens.
Heirloom revival restored Empress of India to specialty seed lists.
Chefs used dark leaves and scarlet blooms for high-contrast edible garnish.