Caper

Caper — The caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a perennial spiny shrub that bears rounded, fleshy leaves and big white to pinkish-white flowers. A caper is also the pickled bud of this plant. The bush is native to the Mediterranean region, growing wild on walls or in rocky coastal areas throughout. The plant is best known for the edible bud and fruit (caper berry) which are usually consumed pickled. Other species of Capparis are also picked along with C. spinosa for their buds or fruits.

Caper, Capparis spinosa, is a spiny deciduous shrub in the caper family, Capparaceae, which has about 300 species, also called capers. It is grown for its flower buds, which are picked, pickled, and sold as a pungent condiment. Native to the Mediterranean region, it is grown as a greenhouse plant in the northern United States and outdoors in warmer areas. The leaves are round, and the white flowers have purple-tipped stamens. The flowers of other species, usually white or shades of yellow, are borne in flat-topped groups or are solitary, with four petals. The Jamaica caper tree, Capparis cynophallophora, found in the Caribbean and in southern Florida, has a bronze scale covering.