Caper bush
Capparis spinosa L.
Also known as: Caper, Flinders rose
Family: Capparaceae
30 cm to 1 m, in a spreading, drooping clump
Old walls, rocks and sunny cliffs of the Mediterranean coast
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Not very hardy, dislikes frost below -5°C, enjoys the warmth of old walls
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
What is eaten under the name of caper is not a fruit or a seed, but the flower bud of the caper bush picked just before it opens — an opened flower gives a fruit, never a caper.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, rounded, fleshy, borne on drooping stems often with spiny stipules
🌸 Flowers
Large, white to pinkish, with many long violet stamens, very decorative, lasting only a day
🍎 Fruits
Elongated oval berry, splitting open at maturity to reveal numerous seeds (the unopened flower buds are the capers eaten)
🪵 Bark
Trailing or drooping stems, greyish
🗺️ Distribution
Found all around the French Mediterranean coast, on old walls and rocks
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large flowers rich in nectar, opening late in the day, visited by bees and moths
✂️ Horticultural uses
Culinary plant growing naturally in walls and rock gardens, cultivated for its flower buds (capers)
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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