Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' (Jewel of Africa Nasturtium) care

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Full sun for best flowering, though it tolerates partial shade with more foliage and fewer blooms. At least 6 hours of direct sun gives the strongest display and variegation. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for when the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 4-7 days; containers more often in heat for tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Likes moderate, even moisture but tolerates dry spells once established. Avoid waterlogging. Overwatering and rich soil produce leaves at the expense of flowers.

Soil and pot

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' grows best in light, free-draining, low-fertility soil. Performs best in poor to average, well-drained soil; lean ground promotes flowering. Rich, fertile soil yields lush leaves and few blooms. A free-draining peat-free mix suits containers. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' sits happiest at around 30-60% humidity and 13-27°C (55-81°F). Ordinary outdoor humidity is fine; no special requirement. Good airflow helps deter aphids and keeps the variegated foliage clean. If you keep the room above 13 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' sparingly. Do not feed routinely. Nasturtiums flower best in lean soil; excess fertiliser, especially nitrogen, produces abundant foliage and few flowers. At most, an occasional very dilute high-potash feed in containers. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• All leaves, few flowers — Caused by soil that is too rich or too much feed and water. Grow in lean soil, withhold fertiliser, and water moderately to trigger flowering.
• Heavy aphid infestation — Nasturtiums are notorious aphid magnets, often used as a trap crop. Blast off with water, use insecticidal soap, or tolerate them as a decoy near vegetables.
• Cabbage white caterpillars — As a brassica-family relative, leaves can be chewed by cabbage white caterpillars. Inspect undersides and remove caterpillars by hand.
• Frost damage — Tender to even light frost. Sow or plant out only after the last frost, and expect plants to collapse with the first autumn frost.

Propagation

Easily grown from its large seeds sown directly where they are to grow after the last frost, or started indoors a few weeks earlier. Direct sowing avoids root disturbance, which nasturtiums dislike; soak seed beforehand to speed germination. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' is pet-safe. ASPCA-grounded: Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium) is listed by the ASPCA as non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses, with no records of toxic ingestion. The leaves and flowers are also edible to humans. Eating large quantities of any plant can still cause mild gastrointestinal upset. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' watering schedule
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' light requirements
• Best soil mix for tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa'
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' fertilizing guide
• When to repot tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa'
• How to propagate tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa'
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' growth rate & size
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' cold hardiness
• Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' temperature & humidity
• Is tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' toxic to cats?
• Is tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' toxic to dogs?
• Getting tropaeolum majus 'jewel of africa' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' qualifies for 11 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
• Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
• Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
• Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
• Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
• Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Tropaeolum majus 'Jewel of Africa' is also commonly called Jewel of Africa Nasturtium or Variegated Nasturtium.

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