Not sure what the question is but it is interesting to find a drought tolerant plant that is edible in our cali heat..congrats.

I only thought they grow in Spain or Italy, but we have the same climate and they will grow here too. I googled a lot and read a lot of Amazon reviews. Evidently they are really hard to grow from seed, so I bought a plant online for about $20.00. It arrived in great shape. I just wondered if anyone but me in California is growing it and how it's working out for you. Ours is still in it's little pot waiting to be planted.

I hope you update your progress with these, I'm interested in how well they do and what the output is. I, too, live with a caper fiend and love finding new edibles that do well here. Good luck and keep us posted!

Humsi, here she is today all snug in her gopher wire basket, in ground with her own mulch and emitter. She'll stay on the drip system till she gets established and grows through one winter. I can't wait till she starts blooming. I read her blooms are pretty, but I intend to snip off the buds and pickle them.

I've seen these growing all over the roadsides in Israel and Jordan. The flowers are very eye-catching and the plants themselves are very neat and attractive.

Nice to know the plants are neat and attractive. I put our plant in our front yard for easy access to the kitchen so I can go out and pick buds prior to bloom in the early mornings. I found a recipe for poor man's capers AKA nasturtium. That is a flowering bunch of randomness, but very pretty. They self seed every year and we find them everywhere. We just let them be and harvest the greens for salads. I might pickling the pods to see the difference between two plants.

I've heard of using nasturtium pods as capers but never tried it. I wonder what the flavor is like. Let me know if you try it. Personally I can't stand the radish flavor of the leaves, but the flowers are so pretty they make a colorful addition to salads.

I'm a bit of a caper addict but hadn't ever considered growing them. Where did you buy your plant?

sf_rhino, I got it on Amazon from Easy to Grow Bulbs: http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00JV5G1LC/ref=pe_385040_127745480_TE_item I use smile.amazon so they will donate to charities I like when I purchase things. It's on regular Amazon too. My plant, as you can see from the photo was in really good shape when I purchased it.

Capparis is one of those plants that have I have always coveted, but has frustrated me continually. They are always expensive, hard to find, and fragile for me. I used to admire the specimens in the Huntington Botanical Gardens, and probably bought some of the plants I killed at their annual plant sale.

What makes them so befuddling to me is that they have been cultivated since ancient times, and appear to grow wild in areas with climates such as ours.

I was(am) acutely aware not to overwater or fert them, but I still failed. I only grew then in containers. I wish you the best of luck, and will be watching for any updates. BTW, I love caper buds and caper berries, but love the flowers(to look at) even more. Dave

Dave, your post has me a little worried. I'm hoping mine lives. It is in ground and not in a container, so fingers crossed. It can be propagated by cuttings, so I might try that to have a back up plant. I read it loves to grow in the cracks in rocks, and we have plenty of those here. I'll let it grow a little more prior to taking cuttings.

Oooh, I wanted to grow this from seed for awhile

This is a photo of a caper plant that I grew from a seedling in Walnut Creek, CA. The plant flourished the first year but did not survive the first winter. They grow high in the rocks in many parts of the Holy Land and are very difficult to grow in gardens. The seed is only viable for a few weeks - according to the limited information that I was able to find - but mine never set seeds.

Good luck with yours - but I suggest finding capers at Costco or Big Lots - much more reasonably priced - if you want some to eat! lol Your little plant will only give you one or two seeds per flower. But the flower is really beautiful so take some photographs - to share with all of us.

How are your winters in Walnut Creek, CA? A freeze is rare here, but does happen. We get snow sometimes (odd snow). It's not cold enough for it, but it does snow from high level clouds that lurk over the mountain resorts above us. The snow never sticks. All my figs, macadamias, Avocados, and citrus get through just fine. I might cover my plant with straw and a blankie this winter. Big Lots has capers?

Big lots is a gourmet food store. I get all kinds of good stuff from them.

Suzi, I don't want to scare you, it's the way it is when you grow uncommon plants. I have killed thousands of plants(and $) but it never deters me from trying new stuff.

You can educate all of us on your experience, be it good or bad. I, like you, hope someone chimes in here to give us some juicy tidbits regarding Capparis cultivation. It is a plant that is worthy of extra attention.

If anyone knows of a cheap source of Caper plants, please share so I and others here can grow it and maybe find a growing condition to help us all enjoy this special plant. Dave

I just went outside and looked. It has 3 new leaves emerging at each of it's 3 branches. I have a feeling it will be fine here. It's planted in well drained decomposed granite surrounded by granite boulders on a dry, windy sunny hill, which this summer will be no hotter than 110 degrees, but no less than 90 degrees. I'm hoping it blooms this summer.

Suzi it sounds great, we have to stick to our guns. I killed 5 sweet woodruff plants and now I have two growing carefree easy peasy. I just kept buying them and trying a new spot. Recently a pretty weed grew in one of my planters and it might be woodruff.

please take cuttings whenever you can so you're always starting new ones. Better to have five small ones in different spots so you can see who growing in caper paradise.

im going to see if I can find some reasonable seed.

I found my plants at a University of California, Davis, plant sale. Here is an link to their information page. Their list of plants for their on campus sales would make you absolutely swoon! lol
http://sfp.ucdavis.edu/pubs/brochures/Capers/

It is dated 1989 but should still be correct.

Walnut Creek has many micro climate zones. Our house was in a protected spot so we did get freezes and an occasional snow storms. Right up the hill from us (less than one mile) they could winter geraniums out doors but mine would freeze to mush. The hardy geraniums love the cold. There is snow and freezing temps and snow in Israel and other areas in the Mediterranean climate - but it is the length of the freezing temps as well and the amount of moisture in the air that is important as the actual temperature.

The USDA climate zones show that zone 8 stretches from the PNW around Texas and over to Florida! But what will grow is totally different from west to east - it is not the amount of water but when it comes. True Mediterranean climate is about 4 % of the total land mass of our earth. The Sunset climate zones are far more helpful - especially if you are exploring growing rare and unusual plants. Trying new plants and those not found in the usual nurseries and box stores is one of the most exciting things about gardening. But as Tony Advent, Plants Delights Nursery, said 'If you haven't killed a plant at least three times, you haven't tried it!'

Just got mine in the mail! Good looking little guy. Mine's leaves are kind of purple. It gives it a bit of a eucalyptus crossed with a jade plant look.

We have had capers in our garden in Napa for 12 years now. They are relatively carefree - prune in the winter when dormant, don't water them much, and they are planted in a rocky well-drained soil. They will spread and/or start new plants from the caper berries. They have long roots that branch out and they do not like being moved (from experience).

I salt cure the capers and some caper berries every year and use them a lot.

Mine is still sitting in the 4" container that they sent it in. I'm contemplating putting it in a hanging pot off my deck (sunniest spot). Anyone grown these in containers? Best I can find is that they like fast draining, low nutrient soil...

These plants are hard to find in stores, even here in Spain. They grow wild on some very specific locations of the country, but aren't common on the rest. (only a few pages list it sometimes for purchase but is usually out of stock on all of them). I found it in a small nursery after a lot of search and the seller said to me that "these plants aren't demanded too much". .. Not sure why, it's a nice plant with interesting leaves and awesome flowers and fruits (I love the berries). Seems that the production here ceased long ago since the marocco competition was too much and only home gardeners look for them.

I grow a few in pots, with a mix of generic soil mix and gravel. They need more water than it's said, at least to me: in the hottest part of the summer I have to water them twice a week or the leaves go down and stop flowering. I use a regular fertilizer once every one or two months. The flower only lasts one day or (rarely) two, and if it's not pollinated the plants just throws them (I use my fingernail to grap some purple pollen and touch the tip).

In the winter leaves fall and they go dormant looking like dead to regrow back in spring, like grapes.

I grow the variant without thorns, the var. inermis.

My little plant is growing. No flowers yet, but it's definitely got it's roots in ground. Looking forward to pickling the buds.

swxf2 - In Sicily, you see people all over the place picking wild capers in open fields. Plants are not too common here either. There is also a variety that is not the actual caper that some people are selling here.

@Suzi If the plant is from a cutting is possible you will have some buds this year :) from seed they start flowering the second year.

@lthree Wich variety?

Update. My plant has tripled in size and is very healthy. I hope she survives this winter of the looming El Nino. I might have to put a pot upside down over her to protect her from all that rain and possible freezes. I read that you should take cuttings in Feb, March, April, so if she makes it, that's when I'll try to see if she'll grow elsewhere on our property too.

Here is a link of a blog I found with useful information about growing and germinating these plants:

http://fromseedtotable.blogspot.com.es/p/my-caper-obsession.html

Suzi do you have an updated picture? I found a plant called bladder wort that is supposed to be similar to capers

I was keeping mine relatively dry in the 4" pot it arrived in thinking that was best. It turned almost entirely purple and didn't look too happy. I ended up migrating it into a #1 pot w/some commercial potting soil--which I assumed would be bad since they are supposed to like sandy soil and not like much fert. After a couple weeks it really took off. It is nice and green and looks much happier.

Suzi, how often do you give it water?

I'm watching you guys, glad they're doing well. Much thanks for taking the time to document the progress for me and others.

sf_rhino, mine is on a drip system. Mandatory drought cut backs. Watered 3 days per week at 45 minutes each. Weekends get no water.

A little update for you! My caper endured a few days of freeze degree weather and pretty much died back. I discovered the die back and hit what was left with a nice spray of "Cloud Cover," an organic based spray that keeps moisture in the plant and helps protect during extreme heat and freezes. The parts I sprayed stayed green and the entire plant is back to full growth mode now in early June. So far no blossoms.

Thanks for the update. I'm still on the lookout for one, that does not require the arm and leg the current source wants. Your location must be a bit colder, so it should do well here.

Thank you, I have been wondering how it goes.

It's been forever since I posted, but my caper is still doing great. I took some cuttings and stuck them in cracks in boulders. I water them a little daily. Experimenting. I need more plants to get a decent harvest. I am also going to pick a seed pod or two and plant fresh seed this year and try to get them to grow. I read this article Grow your Own Capers It takes a long time till production, but I can wait.

Each flower produces a seed pod which can be preserved as caper berries.

The small capers are at the ends of each flowering branch. It takes a lot of capers to make a jar.

Caper berry with seeds in it. Not sure when they are ready.

FRESH seeds germinate fast. More experimenting ahead.

We need a lot more bushes to get a harvest!

I remember it. Does it need much water?

We have it on drip. It does get hot and dry here like 110 max average 100 in summer. Drips every other day. I've read once established, they need no water because their roots go deep. But, better safe than sorry.

Thank you.

I have two, one been in about 4-5 years. They need water. Mine get overhead every 7-10 days, deep watering. Both are in partial shade. They are super cool though.

I ordered pickling salt on Amazon so I can start pickling. Fun!

What a great idea. I am not sure if it is warm enough here, but we do have the Mediterranean climate. I just ordered some seeds from Amazon to give it a try.

I have a few capers in the salt and I used a suggestion above to brush the pollen from the flowers over the stamen. I now have lots of caper berries! Those are the seed pods and they can be pickled also. With only one plant, I'll be pickling berries, but I will also start fresh seeds this fall and let them sprout in the house. We'll see how that goes.

First Harvest!

Yes, lots of sizes and very small, but it's a start! The salt has taken the bitterness out so now they will go into the fridge with herbs and vinegar until I get enough for a recipe! I NEED more plants for sure! Doing the caper berries next and I'm leaving one to ripen for seeds to see if I can get them to grow. I'll keep taking cuttings too.

Update! I walked out in the yard and found a ripe caper berry AKA seed pod. It was split open and from what I could tell, there were 5 fresh seeds. I did my research, found one method of growing them that I liked, and yesterday I planted them after they had been in the fridge for 2 weeks.

I was surprised to find there were about 10 seeds, so since i had prepared 6 sleeves, some sleeves got 2 seeds. The goal here is 6 plants. One plant is NOT enough for a jar of capers! If 2 sprout in one sleeve, I will sacrifice one by cutting it off.

I got my planting sleeves on Amazon. They disintegrate in the soil so the roots will grow out of them and not be disturbed during planting. Evidently Capers do NOT like their roots disturbed!

Here is the open pod I found:

Seeds are in there, and misted and covered with plastic wrap.

I'll update again if any sprout!