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Caper Flower Wikimedia Commons
Capparaceae

Caper Flower

Capparis spinosa

Delicate extravagance.

Family
Capparaceae
Genus
Capparis
Native to
Mediterranean, Central Asia
Bloom season
Summer
Type
deciduous shrub
Height
2-5 ft
Sunlight
full sun
Soil
Poor, rocky, very well-drained
Water
low
Hardiness
8-10
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • The capers used in cooking are actually the pickled flower buds of this plant, harvested before they open.
  • Each stunning flower lasts only a single day, opening in the morning and wilting by evening.
  • The long, dramatic purple stamens of the caper flower can extend 2 inches beyond the petals.
  • Caper bushes can grow from cracks in ancient stone walls and thrive in virtually no soil.
  • If the flower buds are not picked, they develop into caper berries—a larger, olive-sized delicacy served in Mediterranean cuisine.

Color meanings

0

desire

1

luxury

2

fleeting beauty

Uses

  • culinary (capers and caper berries)
  • ornamental
  • traditional medicine