Capparis spinosa spinosa
Capparis spinosa spinosa
Safety & Hazards
Caper extracts and pulps have been used in cosmetics, but there have been cases reported of contact dermatitis and sensitivity from their use[1].
Cultivation Details
Capparis spinosa spinosa is native mainly to the warm temperate and subtropical regions of Europe, north Africa and Asia, with some forms extending to the continental climate of central Asia. It is usually found in arid and semi-arid climates with hot summers and warm to fairly cold winters. Dormant plants can tolerate short-lived temperatures falling to between -5 and -10°c[2, 3]. The plant prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 300 - 2,600mm[4]. Capers generally require a hot, well-drained dry position in full sun[2, 3, 5]. Plants can tolerate some frost so long as the ground is very well-drained. They often dislike heavy soils, though some forms are found growing on clay[4]. Established plants are very tolerant of drought[5]. They prefer a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8.3[4]. The plant is commonly harvested from the wild for food and medicine and is very occasionally cultivated in the northwestern Mediterranean[6]. This subspecies is very variable and several varieties have been described[6]. We do not have separate entries for each of these subspecies, but a brief description is given below. If considering growing this plant then it would be advisable to select the variety according to the area where you wish to grow it:- Var spinosa. Found in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, probably also in Iraq, at elevations up to 800 metres. It grows on limestone, clay, marl and gypsum soils. This form has larger flower buds than the other varieties and is the form cultivated in the Mediterranean[6]. Ver canescens. A very widespread and ecologically adaptable form, found in Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Arabian Peninsula, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. It grows on clay, marl, limestone and gypsum soils, often in substrata rich in soluble salts, and can become a weed of cultivation. This is one of the hardiest forms, being found at elevations up to 3,600 metres in the Himalayas[6]. Ver aegyptia. Found in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Arabian Peninsula at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It is usually found on limestone, granite, gypsum, sand and rendzina soils. This form produces the largest fruits[6]. Var mucronifolia. Found in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and the Arabian Peninsula at elevations up to 1,676 metres. It grows on granite, limestone, sand and conglomerates[6]. Var parviflora. Found in the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India at elevations up to 1,850 metres. It grows on limestone, sandstone and claypans. This form has smaller flowers, fruits and leaves, often growing in semi-deserts[6]. Var herbacea. Found in the Ukraine, Turkey, Caucasus, central Asia, Afghanistan and western China at elevations up to 1,700 metres. It is found under a variety of edaphic conditions, from limestone to clay, often on substrata rich in soluble salts. One of the hardiest forms, usually dying back to the rootstock in the winter[6]. Var atlantica. Found in Morocco at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It is found on limestone, marl, clay, metamorphic substrata[6].
Propagation
Caper seeds are miniscule and seedlings are very slow growing. The fresh seed germinates quickly, although germination rates are usually quite low[1]. Dried seed becomes dormant and notably difficult to germinate - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water at around 40°c which is then allowed to cool. Then wrap them in a moist cloth, place them in a sealed glass jar and kept in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 months. After refrigeration, soak the seeds again in warm water overnight. Sow the seeds about 1cm deep in a loose well drained soil medium in a sunny position in a greenhouse[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle. Grow on the young plants for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid-summer in a sandy medium in a cold frame[3]. Use stems from the basal portions, greater than 1cm diameter and 8cm long with 6 - 10 buds. Use a loose, well drained media with bottom heat. A 70% rooting percentage would be considered good[1] Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Capparis+spinosa+spinosa>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]New Crops FactSheets — Purdue University · http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/default.html ↩︎A website dedicated to giving information on potential new agricultural crops.
- [2]Perennials. Volumes 1 and 2. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1991 · ISBN 0-330-30936-9 ↩︎Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [5]Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books, London. · 1998 · ISBN 0-330-37376-5 ↩︎Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
- [6]A taxonomic revision of the Capparis spinosa group (Capparaceae) from the Mediterranean to Central Asia — Silvio Fici · 2014 · http://www.mapress.com/phytotaxa/ · ISBN 1179-3155 ↩︎