Caper Plant Facts

Caper plant, scientific name Capparis spinosa, is believed to have originated from the dry land regions of central and western Asia and the Mediterranean region. It is also referred to as caper-bush or simply caper. Caper plant is distributed widely all over the world. This plant is commercially important as the leaves, flower buds and fruits are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Another interesting feature of caper plant is its hardiness to wide climatic conditions, which makes it suitable for growing in any soil type with variable environmental factors. Let's discuss in brief on what are capers and caper plant facts.

What are Capers: Facts about Caper Plant

Capers are the unripened flower buds of the caper plant, a prickly perennial plant. A cultivated caper plant grows to a height of about 2 feet upright, whereas an uncultivated caper usually grows as vine, which can spread to about 7 - 10 feet. The caper plant is tolerant to saline soil conditions, hence it is mostly found near sea beaches. The leaves of caper plant usually cover the soil, which helps in its conservation. The term 'caper' is used synonymously for preserved flower buds and young fruits. In many areas, especially in the Mediterranean, capers are collected from wild plants in peak growing seasons.

This plant has a very deep root system, which is an adaptive feature to grow in dry areas. There are both spine and spineless species of caper plant. The leaves are small, oval in shape, green in color, thick and leathery. The flowers of caper plants are delicate, cream white in color and short-lived. The fruits of caper plants are green, elongated (2 - 3 inch long) berries. If not harvested, a mature caper berry dehisces, which germinates in favorable environmental conditions.

The Taxonomy of Caper Plant

Division: Angiosperm
Class: Magnoliopsida
Sub Class: Dilleniidae
Order : Capparidales
Family: Capparidaceae (or Capparaceae)
Genus: Capparis
Species: spinosa

Growing and Caring of Caper Plants

The caper plant is propagated by using stem cuttings or seeds. The favorable growing factors for caper plants include dry gravelly soil, less soil moisture (350 mm annual precipitation), good drainage and intense sunlight. It can tolerate temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. This plant is resistant to common pests and diseases. The quality of the flower buds and berries may vary depending upon the growing conditions. It is found that best quality capers are produced from nutrient-poor sandy soils. Hence, maintaining such factors is essential to yield better products.

For a high yield, caper plants should be pruned to ground level during winter months. Pruning allows removal of dead wood and shoot overgrowth. With proper caring tips, maximum yield of capers can be achieved within 3 - 4 years of plantation. Once planted, it can thrive for more than a decade. Fertilizers are not required for growing these plants. In fact, they grow best in soil that lacks nutrients.

The unopened buds of capers should be collected by hand early in the morning on dry days. The smaller the unopened bud, the higher the quality. During peak growing seasons, harvesting of capers can be done regularly at an interval of 9 - 12 days. The harvested buds are then preserved in vinegar solution or under salt layers in an airtight container. Caper fruits, harvested in a similar manner as that of flower buds, are eaten raw or used in preparation of pickles and flavored sauces.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses of Capers

The piquant sour and salty flavor of capers is similar to that of green olives. The flavor and aroma of small capers are more than that of the larger ones. Capers are commonly used in the preparation of salads, sauces and vegetable dishes. Capers are essential culinary ingredients for many of the Mediterranean cuisines. Other regions where pickled capers are used extensively include Italy, Spain, Central and Northern Europe.

The caper plant has also been used for treatment of varied health problems since a long time. The parts of caper plant are used for therapeutic purposes include leaves, barks and flower buds. These plant parts are used for treatment of eye infections, pain, flatulence, gastrointestinal problems, irritable bowel syndrome, intestinal worms, stomach pain, liver dysfunction, urinary disorders and menstrual symptoms. In general, caper is useful for body detoxification.