Capparis spinosa
The caper bush has a remarkable survival secret: it is often seen growing directly from the cracks in old Mediterranean stone walls, with almost no soil. This thornless variety retains all the hardiness of the Mediterranean species, without the inconvenience of thorny branches.
Characteristics:
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Graceful habit: bushy, trailing shrub with a spreading habit of approximately 50 cm high by 1 metre wide, with drooping branches.
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Ephemeral flowering: the fragrant white flowers, with long purple stamens, last for just one day each, between June and July.
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Half-hardy: it withstands temperatures down to -5 °C and tolerates drought remarkably well once established.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun, in the warmest spot possible — against a south-facing wall is ideal.
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Soil: dry, stony, chalky, very poor and above all perfectly drained. This is a plant that thrives in extreme conditions: never enrich the soil, and avoid any heavy or damp soil, which is fatal to its roots. In pots, use a mixture of potting soil, sand and gravel.
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Method: germination is known to be difficult and slow. Soak the seeds for 24 hours in lukewarm water, then apply cold stratification for 2 to 3 weeks before sowing in pots in spring. Be patient: emergence may take several weeks.
Planting advice:
- Plant outdoors in the ground only in southern France. Elsewhere, grow it in a pot and bring it indoors, protected from the cold, in winter, in a cool, bright location.
Care advice:
- Water very sparingly, only during the first year. Cut back the branches at the end of winter to stimulate the production of new buds.
Harvesting advice:
- Pick the flower buds early in the morning, while they are still tightly closed: these are the buds that become capers after being preserved in salt or vinegar. The smallest ones are the most prized.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its large flowers, although short-lived, are highly sought after by bees during their brief day of blooming.
- Its ability to colonize low walls and rock gardens makes it a welcome refuge for small wildlife in dry gardens.
Uses:
- The flower buds become capers; the young fruits, harvested later, produce caper berries, which are equally appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Allow a few buds to bloom and then develop into fruit. Harvest the fruit when fully ripe, open it and extract the small brown seeds from the pulp, then rinse and dry them. See how to store your seeds.
Our Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Transform a corner of your garden into a Mediterranean-inspired setting with these thornless caper bush seeds.
