Quadrella jamaicensis: Jamaican Caper

This Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ publication is part of a series originally written by Edward F. Gilman. Visit https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ to learn more about creating and maintaining attractive landscapes that protect Florida's water resources and environment.

Introduction

Jamaican caper (Quadrella jamaicensis) is a small evergreen tree native to parts of coastal south Florida and the Keys, as well as parts of Central America and the Caribbean. This large shrub to small tree may reach a height of 15 feet and spread of 12 feet (Figure 1). The evergreen leaves of the Jamaica caper are light green above, with fine brown scales below (Figure 2). These glossy, oval leaves are folded together when they first emerge and give the plant's new growth a bronze appearance. The leaves also have a notched tip. Twigs are brownish gray and pubescent (Figure 3). Jamaica caper flowers have very showy two-inch-long purple stamens, white anthers, and white petals that turn to pink after opening (Figure 4). The inflorescence is composed of terminal clusters consisting of 3 to 10 individual flowers. The fruits are 3- to 8-inch-long cylindrical pods containing small brown seeds that are embedded in a scarlet pulp (Figure 5). This plant is called the Jamaican caper as it is in the same plant family as the culinary caper plant (Capparaceae). This plant is well-suited for a variety of uses in the landscape, including near a deck or patio, as a screen or border plant, as a specimen, as a part of a coastal landscape, and the plant attracts butterflies.

General Information

Scientific name: Quadrella jamaicensis

Previous name(s): Capparis cynophallophora

Pronunciation: kwa-DRELL-ah jam-ache-ken-sis

Common name(s): Jamaican caper

Family: Capparaceae

Plant type: large shrub; small tree

USDA hardiness zones: 10A through 11B (Figures 6 and 7)

Planting month for zones 10 and 11: year-round

Origin: native to Florida

Invasive potential: not known to be invasive

Uses: near a deck or patio; screen; border; specimen; coastal landscaping; attracts butterflies; recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; small parking lot islands (< 100 square feet in size); medium-sized parking lot islands (100–200 square feet in size); large parking lot islands (> 200 square feet in size)

Availability: generally available in many nurseries which specialize in Florida native plants

Description

Height: 6 to 15 feet

Spread: 8 to 12 feet

Plant habit: vase shape

Plant density: dense

Growth rate: slow

Texture: medium

Use and Management

Jamaican caper should be planted in full sun to partial shade in the landscape. It is adaptive to a wide variety of soil conditions, provided that soil is well drained. Jamaican caper is a hardy plant, as it has moderate to high drought tolerance, and high wind tolerance. This plant is well-suited for coastal landscaping, may be used as a screen or border; or makes a nice specimen plant with its showy flowers and seed pods. This is the larval host plant of the Florida white butterfly (Appias drusilla). This plant is cold tolerant to 28°F.

Jamaican caper can be utilized as an understory tree in the partial shade. Train the plant into a tree by removing low, drooping branches, and heading upright branches to thicken their diameter. It can also be clipped into a hedge or tall screen to block an undesirable view.

Propagated by seeds.

Design Considerations

Pests and Diseases

No pests or diseases are of major concern.