Abstract: Capparis spinosa L. is a common perennial shrub in the Mediterranean region. The plant is known for its medicinal and aromatic properties. It contains a number of chemically active and diverse secondary metabolites, in particular, rutin. In this study, the content of rutin was quantitatively determined in different plants parts of C. spinosa using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Collection of plant material was made from twenty four populations of C. spinosa. The studied C. spinosa populations evidenced a great variability of rutin content among plant parts and among locations. Rutin content averaged on dry basis was 2.76% for leaves, 1.8% for flowering buds and 0.28% for fruits. Among the populations investigated in this study rutin content was found to vary significantly among and within regions. The data show both the value of plant genetic resources for breeding programs and the importance of exploring chemical variation before introducing wild plant in cultivation and breeding programs. The study also underlines the nutritional value of the caper plant which is widely used as a source of condiment.