Caper (Capparis spinosa)

Pictures

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  Appearance

  Small thorny shrub. Its pickled buds yield the capers used in cooking.

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  Leaves

  Deciduous, 1 to 3 cm long, elliptic, ovate or circular leaves, dark green in colour. Tips are notched.

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  Leaf upperside

  Deciduous, 1 to 3 cm long, elliptic, ovate or circular leaves, dark green in colour. Tips are notched.

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  Flowers

  Flowering period: VI to VIII. White or purple-coloured attractive flowers, 5 to 7 cm in size. The buds are harvested before they flower and pickled in brine or vinegar.

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  Fruits

  The fruit is also known as caper berry. Approx. 2 cm in size. Can be pickled and eaten.

Application

Open country, open fields, parks, container plants, kitchen gardens, front gardens, crop plant

Native regions

Mediterranean regions, North Africa, Southwest Asia

Location parameters

Light: full sun to sunny; soil: extremely dry to slightly dry; soil structure: normal to loose; soil depth: very shallow to very deep; humus concentration: low to medium; pH value: slightly acid to extremely alkaline; nutrient concentration: very low to normal; soil: extremely dry to slightly dry.

Demands

Does not tolerate stagnant moisture.

Hardiness

down to -5 C°

Growth

Height of growth: 0.3 to 0.7 m. Spread: 0.6 to 2 m. Slow-growing, semi-circular, weeping or low-lying shrub.

Leaves

Deciduous, 1 to 3 cm long, elliptic, ovate or circular leaves, dark green in colour. Tips are notched.

Flowers

Flowering period: VI to VIII. White or purple-coloured attractive flowers, 5 to 7 cm in size. The buds are harvested before they flower and pickled in brine or vinegar.

Fruits

The fruit is also known as caper berry. Approx. 2 cm in size. Can be pickled and eaten.

Bark

Thorny branches.