Caper

[shaneatwell]

Anyone have experience with Caper? Mine has been flowering like crazy for a couple months, but not a single fruit. I'd like seeds...

[buddyguygreen]

Have you tried the flower bud, I believe that's the caper. you can get seeds on Ebay.

[shaneatwell]

I have not yet and true. But would eventually like my own seeds. Wondering...

[shaneatwell]

After much digging...most sites that mention pollination say that its done by insects. (Flowers are perfect or complete btw, male and female parts all there.) Its possible that I don't have the right insects, and I've never seen a pollinator on the flowers. Or its possible (per this http://marshbotanicalgarden.yale.edu/news/pulling-capers) that caper is wind pollinated and yard has very little wind. Either way, looks like I have a pollination problem, not a self-fertility problem etc. Did some hand pollination just now and will see what happens.

check out the awesome pictures here http://www.floraofqatar.com/capparis_spinosa.htm

[Rannman]

I grow a couple of Caper plants in pots and I've always managed to get plenty of fruit/seeds. I've never seen a lot of insects doing the pollinating so I always do it myself when the flowers open. Last summer I ended up with over 2 thousand seeds.

[shaneatwell]

Nice. I have many fruit growing now. The two biggest are from the first two flowers I hand pollinated.

[Rannman]

I found the best way to propagate from seed is to plant the seed as soon as the Caper berry splits. If the seeds dry out they seem to go dormant and take a long time to germinate.  If it is seed you want and you want to store it for later try to let the ants do the seed cleaning for you. I place the split caper berries in a bowl and let the ants get all over it. The ants here struggle to get the seeds up the steep sides of the bowl. They take the flesh and all you have left is a shrivelled skin and a bunch of shiny, dry seeds. Works for me!

[shaneatwell]

Will give it a shot Rannman.

From 2nd set of hand pollinated. I don't seem to be getting many otherwise:



I love this plant. Has only been watered 3 or 4 times since it established a year ago. Lovely flowers. Attracts butterflies. Edible!