Perennial / Desiduous Trees / Capparis spinosa - Caper - Flinders rose - Herb
 
 
  •   Plant name - Caper
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  •   Common name - Capparis spinosa
  •   Plant type - Vegetable / Small Shrub
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  •   Vegetation type - Perennial
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  •   Growth rate - Medium
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  •   Leaf / Flower color - Green / white-purple
  •   Other names - Flinders rose
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    Description :
        Capparis spinosa, the caper bush, also called Flinders rose, is a perennial winter-deciduous plant that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and large white to pinkish-white flowers. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), often used as a seasoning, and the fruit (caper berry), both of which are usually consumed pickled. Other species of Capparis are also picked along with C. spinosa for their buds or fruits. Other parts of Capparis plants are used in the manufacture of medicines and cosmetics.
        Capparis spinosa is native to the Mediterranean, East Africa, Madagascar, south-western and Central Asia, Himalayas, the Pacific Islands, Indomalaya and Australia. It is present in almost all the circum-Mediterranean countries, and is included in the floristic composition of most of them, but whether it is indigenous to this region is uncertain. Although the flora of the Mediterranean region has considerable endemism, the caper bush could have originated in the tropics, and later been naturalized to the Mediterranean basin.
        The taxonomic status of the species is controversial and unsettled. Species within the genus Capparis are highly variable, and interspecific hybrids have been common throughout the evolutionary history of the genus. As a result, some authors have considered the C. spinosa to be composed of multiple distinct species others that the taxon is a single species with multiple varieties or subspecies, or that the taxon C. spinosa is a hybrid between C. orientalis and C. sicula .
     
     Growing Instructions :
    * Soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours. Put seeds in a wet towel, seal in a plastic bag and leave in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks.
    * Remove, soak again in warm water for 24 hours. Plant seeds 3/8 inch deep (10cm) in a mixture of potting soil/perlite/sand (50/25/25%). Use 4-6" pots and put 4-5 seeds per pot. Seeds should germinate in 5-8 weeks.
    * Grow until 3-5" tall. Save the best plant; cut the rest with a scissors(don 't just pull them out). When transplanting, disturb the root as little as possible.
    * For northem gardeners, when transplanting, protect plant from elements until it has taken (cover with plastic bag for the first 3-4 days, then cut top of the bag to admit some of the elements and leave a week, then remove entire bag) or use row covers. While not the easiest plant to grow, it is worth the effort to harvest and make your own capers.