native caper
Capparis sandwichiana · Capparaceae
native caper (Capparis sandwichiana) is a perennial shrub 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
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 20 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Growth rate | slow USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–8 USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 11 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub 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. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 11.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 20 ft, making it a small tree or large shrub. It grows slowly.
Foliage, flower and season
Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is year round. 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
USDA records it across sites receiving 32 to 200 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 24 inches.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and cuttings. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Capparis
- burro blanco Capparis amplissima
- caper Capparis baducca
- Jamaican caper Capparis cynophallophora
- falseteeth Capparis flexuosa
Similar role and hardiness
- fragrant dracaena Dracaena fragrans
- Spanish thyme Lippia micromera
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CASA4, 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.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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