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falseteeth

Capparis flexuosa · Capparaceae

falseteeth (Capparis flexuosa)
Photo: (c) Juan Cruzado Cortés, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · via iNaturalist

falseteeth (Capparis flexuosa) is a perennial vine in the Capparaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 11 and warmer, down to about 40°F.

At a glance

Typevine Derived
Lifecycleperennial USDA
Native statusnative USDA
Mature height16 ft USDA
Lightpart-shade USDA
BloomJune–August USDA
Flower colorWhite USDA
Hardiness zones11 and warmer USDA
Guild layerclimber Derived

USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.

Growing conditions

It grows in partial shade. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. Its cold limit is zone 11.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 16 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are white.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is spring. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.

What the site needs to provide

It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 24 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.

Propagating it

Propagate it from seed and sod. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.

Resilience and wildlife

Its growth form is recorded as single stem.

Role in a guild

Climber. In a layered planting this is it uses other plants or structures for vertical support rather than standing on its own. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.

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Tags

evergreendrought-tolerantsalt-tolerantsandy-soilnativeclimber

Related plants

Others in Capparis

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CAFL2, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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