How to Grow and Care for Caper shrubs

Caper bush (Capparis spinosa) is a perennial shrub that is native to the Mediterranean and is most well-known for its culinary uses; both the tight flower buds and the fruits of the bush are edible. Capers are a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine and are often pickled and included in salads and pasta dishes.

The indian caper is a bushy plant that forms dense, impenetrable, hedge-like thickets, particularly in clay soils. Even its scientific name refers to its hedge-forming growth—the specific Latin epithet sepiaria means "hedge." The plant is said to be toxic to livestock and grazing animals. Its flower, though quite inconspicuous, attracts butterflies.

Capparis acutifolia bodinieri is found in subtropical and tropical areas. Birds and lizards feed on the fruits and seeds, and some kinds of caterpillars eat off the plant as well.

Capparis spinosa subsp. rupestris is a resilient Mediterranean shrub that thrives in rocky habitats. Its hardy nature is evident in its woody stems and the small, round leaves which are well adapted to arid conditions. The plant is recognized by its distinctive spiny branches and the beautiful white to pinkish flowers that emanate a subtle fragrance. Once pollinated, these blooms give way to fleshy fruits, indicative of the plant's role in local ecosystems.

Ceylon caper is prized as an ornamental garden shrub for its stunning pink flowers, which comprise an abundant spray of pink stamens that rise from comparatively drab pale yellow petals. This evergreen climbing shrub grows at low altitudes in the tropics.