Caper Bush - Capparis spinosa

Easily grown in lean, well-drained, dry to medium moisture soils in full sun. Thrives in areas with poor, dry, rocky or sandy soils in hot sun. Intolerant of shade. Established plants require little watering. Avoid overwatering. Capparis spinosa, commonly called caper bush, is a scrambling, sprawling, spiny, evergreen shrub that typically grows to 3’ tall, but spreads by semi-prostrate branching to as much as 6-10’ wide. It is native to somewhat hostile growing conditions including sandy or gravelly soils, rocky hillsides, cliffs, stone walls and rock crevices in Mediterranean coastal regions (southern Europe, Middle East and northern Africa) and from southwestern Asia to the Black Sea extending eastward to the Himalayas, Pacific Islands and northern Australia. The unopened flower buds of this shrub are picked and preserved in salt or pickled in vinegar as the culinary capers which are now enjoyed world-wide as garnishes or as pungent flavor additives to a large number of foods including sauces, butters, salads, fish, meats, pizza toppings and hors d’oeuvres. Capers commercially harvested for human consumption come primarily from plants growing in southern Spain, France, Italy and Algeria. Culinary use of capers extends back in history at least 2500 years.

Attractive white-petaled flowers (2-3” across) with pale purple stamens bloom on long pedicils rising from the leaf axils. Flowers only last one day, but bloom profusely from May to early autumn. The unopened buds of these flowers are the capers.