FNPS Plant Database

Quadrella jamaicensis

Jamaica caper-tree
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Jamaica caper-tree

Synonym(s):

Capparis cynophallophora

Genus species:

Quadrella jamaicensis

Family:

Brassicaeae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Shrub

Size:

6–12 (18) ft tall by 6–10 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white, pink

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Evergreen. Flowers spring-summer. Fruits summer-fall. Moderately long-lived (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Use as a specimen plant. Can also be used as a hedge.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed (scarification required).

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Neutral to calcareous (high pH)

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Birds

Attracts various pollinators. Larval host for Florida white (Appias drusilla) butterflies.

Attracts birds.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Coastal hammocks. Disturbed sites

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Flowers open white and rapidly turn pink.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Butterfly Flowers LLC. (Undated). Jamaican caper - Native Butterfly Flowers. ( https://nativebutterflyflowers.com/native-plants/jamaican-caper/ ). Accessed 2026.


Gann, G.D, C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Plant Name [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Quadcyno ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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