Wild caper – edible wild plant – how to find, identify, prepare, and other uses for survival.

Wild caper (Capparis aphylla)

Wild Caper, also known as Kerda, Kair, Karir, Kirir, and Karril, is a small branched tree or thorny shrub that bears many thin, often tangled looking, leafless branches and grows to a height of about 15 feet.  Leaves are usually only found on young shoots and mature plants lose their leaves during the dry season. Its stems are gray-green and its flowers pink.  It bears green berries that turn pink when mature (birds are very fond of the berries).

Habitat and Distribution: These shrubs form large stands in scrub and thorn forests and in desert scrub and waste. They are common throughout North Africa and the Middle East.

Edible Parts: The spicy fruit and the flower buds of young shoots are edible raw.