Online Catalogue | Garden Seeds | Herb Seeds | Caper
Caper (Capparis inermis) A perennial shrubby plant typical of the Mediterranean region, 40-50 cm. high with roundish alternate leaves of a deep green colour and beautiful large white to pinkish-white flowers.
The immature flower buds are pickled in vinegar or preserved in granular salt, ideal for use in salads, pasta, meat, sauces and garnishes to add a pungent spicy flavour and aroma. To make capers, harvest flower blossoms in the morning immediately before flowering, wash in salted water repeatedly, then dry and salt down or pickle in vinegar.
The caper prefers dry, well-drained soil with little water in a sunny location. It is salt tolerant, so can be planted near the coast. As an ornamental plant, the bush can be used as attractive loose groundcover, a specimen small shrub or can be used as an espalier, which presents the flower buds well for picking. Cut back plants annually for a bushy plant, as flowers grow on first-year branches.
SOW: in the Spring in a seed-bed and transplant in the Autumn. |
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