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Capparis spinosa

Caper · Flinders-rose · Caperbush

Family CapparaceaeGenus Capparis

A white flower with four broad petals and a wide brush of purple-tipped stamens, among round blue-green leaves on limestone.
FlowerUnknownPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
subshrub or shrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
WhitishFlora of Pakistan
Native range
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Caroline Is., Chad and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Flora of Pakistan — S. I. Ali and M. Qaiser (eds.); GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Capers are its flower buds, and caper berries its fruit; both are usually eaten salted or pickled. Wikipedia: Caper
  • Fresh seed from ripe fruit comes up in two to four weeks. Old, stored seed goes dormant and needs cold stratification. Wikipedia: Caper

Two sources report 4 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    3 germinated in this phase.

  4. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    6 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 2, in 56 days.

19% germination in 14–56 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28Public domain
Show the original text
Capparis (Capparidaceae). The data on C. spinosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 70 GA-3(19% in 2-8 w)-40(3%)-70(6%), 70L-40-70L(10% in 2nd w), and none in 70D-40-70D. A second sample weré all empty seed coats.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 24, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 23, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 14 days.

10% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28Public domain
Show the original text
Capparis (Capparidaceae). The data on C. spinosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 70 GA-3(19% in 2-8 w)-40(3%)-70(6%), 70L-40-70L(10% in 2nd w), and none in 70D-40-70D. A second sample weré all empty seed coats.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28Public domain
Show the original text
Capparis (Capparidaceae). The data on C. spinosa is now complete. Seeds germ. 70 GA-3(19% in 2-8 w)-40(3%)-70(6%), 70L-40-70L(10% in 2nd w), and none in 70D-40-70D. A second sample weré all empty seed coats.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Capparis p. 28. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 21 days to germinate.

6% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Capparis p. 113Public domain
Show the original text
Capparis (Capparidaceae). C. spinosa germ. 70 GA-3(2/31 in 3rd w) and none in the first month in 70D, 70L, or 40. Data for only first 6 w. Capsicum-(Solanaceae).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Capparis p. 113. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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