Tropicals, Woody > Capparis > Capparis decidua > Capparis decidua
Capparis decidua
Caper, Caper Berry, Dela, Kair, Kerda, Karir, Kirir, Karril, Injet, (Hindi); करीर or कैर , (Sindhi); ڪِرڙ
Origin: India (Rajasthan and Gujarat), Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Jordan, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa and Sudan.
| Family |
| Capparaceae |
| Genus |
| Capparis |
| Species |
| decidua |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous), Shrub (deciduous) |
| Synonyms |
| (Brassicaceae) family |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| Tolerant of light frost |
| Height |
| 5 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A shrub or small tree with potential ornamental value taking on a tree-like form after several decades of growth. |
| Landscape |
| Able to withstand long periods of drought and considered a pioneer species on sandy soils the plant also has unrecognized potential as an ornamental species because of its attractive blooms. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| Leaf Description |
| Small cauducous leaves found only on young shoots. |
| Flower Description |
| Pink and red blooms. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit matures to greenish-pink to red, is plum-shaped and ranges in size from about the size of a peppercorn to a large blueberry. Fruit ripens in May through July with a possible winter crop ripening in December which is usually of lesser quality. Ripe fruit eagerly consumed by birds. |
| Notable Specimens |
| As a street tree in Kair, India. |
| Propagation |
| By root suckers, since the plant suckers quite freely. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The hardwood is used as firewood, while the fruit is eatable and is often used to spice curries, pickles and vegetables. It may also have medicinal value locally. Immature flower buds are pickled and produce Capers. |
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