Common Name: Syrian Bean Caper

General Information

Zygophyllum fabago is a highly-branched perennial plant with more or less spreading branches that can become woody and persist; it can grow up to 120cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Zygophyllum fabago has been declared a noxious weed in parts of western N. America[].

Known Hazards

In Spain, Zygophyllum fabago has been found to grow in coarse mineral soils contaminated with heavy metals and to accumulate cadmium. Thus, it may potentially cause heavy metal poisoning in grazing animals, as well as alkaloid poisoning[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, through western and central Asia to central China.

Habitat

Solonchaks, sandy hills, steppe deserts, as a roadside weed and in waste places[]. An introduced weed of dry disturbed areas; at elevations up to 1,000 metres in western N. America[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Zygophyllum fabago is a plant mainly found in semi-arid regions of the temperate zone. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[].
Requires a sunny position in a dry very well-drained soil[].
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.

Edible Uses

The flower buds are pickled and used as a caper substitute[, , , ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.