# Can guinea pigs eat nasturtium?

> Yes — no concerns. Verdict: safe. A few times a week · A few leaves and flowers from unsprayed plants · fresh and raw only.

Photo: An orange nasturtium flower with round leaves.

## Quick answer

Yes. Nasturtium — the trailing garden plant with the round leaves and bright orange-red flowers, Tropaeolum majus — is on RVC's safe Wild Garden Herbs/Weeds/Flowers list with the parts named right on the list: leaves and flowers.

The sweep found no toxicity red flag; people eat both parts too, peppery as they are. No feeding study of nasturtium in guinea pigs exists. Our recommendation: leaves and flowers from unsprayed plants in the small rotated slot, and one naming caution — the botanists' Nasturtium is watercress, covered below.

## Is nasturtium good for guinea pigs?

Nasturtium brings two textures to the bowl — round mild-peppery leaves and showy flowers — and sits inside the fresh 10–15% band with the rest of the weeds-and-herbs register on the RVC factsheet.

No source publishes vitamin C or mineral figures for nasturtium in our register, so it does not count toward the 10–30 mg of vitamin C guinea pigs need daily. Its job is variety and color; the nutrient carriers stay the vegetables our sources name.

## How to feed nasturtium

Pick leaves and flowers from plants that have never been sprayed — garden nasturtium is usually grown from seed in herb rows and pots, which makes clean sourcing easy. Rinse, then serve fresh and raw.

A few leaves, a flower or two, watched the first time with the usual next-day dropping check — then rotate. The pepper note means some guinea pigs love it and some leave it; both are normal.

## Who stands behind this verdict

Written by [Patrick Li](/authors/patrick-li/). Editorially reviewed 2026-09-12 · Evidence checked 2026-09-12.

Evidence: One source · Evidence from this species.

No veterinarian has reviewed this page. It is educational guidance checked by the author against the cited sources — for health decisions, talk to your vet.

## Wondering about these too?

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|---|---|---|
| [Avens](/guinea-pigs/can-guinea-pigs-eat-avens/) | safe | A few times a week |
| [Burnet](/guinea-pigs/can-guinea-pigs-eat-burnet/) | safe | A few times a week |
| [Calendula](/guinea-pigs/can-guinea-pigs-eat-calendula/) | safe | A few times a week |

**See also:** the [Food Checker](/guinea-pigs/what-can-guinea-pigs-eat/) photo wall covers every reviewed food with its verdict badge.

## Related tools

- [Guinea Pig Vitamin C Calculator](/guinea-pigs/vitamin-c-calculator/): Guinea pigs need 10–30 mg of vitamin C every day because they cannot make or store it. Converts the daily vitamin C target into food and supplement portions by life stage.

## Frequently asked questions

**Q: Can guinea pigs eat nasturtium flowers?**

Yes — the RVC list entry is "Nasturtium (leaves and flowers)", naming both parts as the food. The flowers are the showpiece: rinse and feed them in the same small rotated portion.

**Q: Is nasturtium the same as watercress?**

The names tangle: botanists use Nasturtium for the watercress genus, while gardeners use nasturtium for Tropaeolum — the plant on the RVC list. Both greens are register-safe (watercress has its own page); the list word here covers the garden plant.

**Q: Why does nasturtium taste peppery, and does that matter?**

The pepper comes from the plant's own mustard-oil chemistry — the same family flavor as cress. It is taste, not a register flag; no toxicity red mark exists for it, and guinea pigs that accept bitter or sharp greens usually take to it.

**Q: Can guinea pigs eat nasturtium every day?**

Rotate it like every other wild herb — a few times a week, swapped through the greens. The register gives no frequency figure for nasturtium specifically.

## Safety notes

Introduce any new food gradually: a small taste at first, building up over a week or so, and keep every serving fresh and raw. Hay stays the main event at around 80% of the day's eating, with fresh vegetables as the supplement.

**When to contact your vet**: Guinea pigs hide illness well. Contact your vet promptly if your guinea pig stops eating or passes fewer droppings, seems lethargic or in pain, has diarrhea, or shows any sudden change in behavior — small pets go downhill fast, and same-day advice is always the safe call.

## The sources behind this verdict

1. [RVC Beaumont Sainsbury Animal Hospital: Feeding Your Guinea Pig (factsheet PDF)](https://www.rvc.ac.uk/Media/Default/Beaumont%20Sainsbury%20Animal%20Hospital/EXOTICS/Animal%20Care%20Factsheets/Guinea-pig-feeding-guidelines-and-advice-Dec-2022-NS.pdf) (grade A, 2022-12). Scope: Wild Garden Herbs/Weeds/Flowers safe list. Excerpt: "Nasturtium"

Grades rate the source, not the claim: S veterinary manuals · A research & university clinics · B welfare organizations · C practitioner education · D not cited. Methodology: /methodology/.

Written by Patrick Li. This guide is informational and not a substitute for veterinary care.
Canonical page: https://petguidecalc.com/guinea-pigs/can-guinea-pigs-eat-nasturtium/