Soapwort
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| Saponaria officinalis L. |
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) is a common perennial plant from the carnation family (Caryophyllaceae). Other common names are Bouncing Bet and Sweet William.
The Latin name is derived from the toxic substance saponin, contained in the roots. It starts producing a lather when in contact with water. The epithet 'officinalis indicates its medicinal functions.
Soapwort is native from Europe to western Siberia. It grows on cool places at low or moderate elevations under hedgerows and alongside waysides. It is introduced in the USA.
The leafy, unbranched stems, often tinged with red, grow in patches, attaining a height of 70 cm. The broad, lanceolate, sessile leaves are opposite and between 4 and 12 cm long.
The sweetly scented, pink (or sometimes white) flowers are radially symmetrical. The five flat petals have each two small scales in the throat of the corolla. They are about 2.5 cm wide. They are arranged in dense, terminal clusters on the main stem and its branches. The long tubular calyx has five pointed red teeth.
They bloom from May to September in the northern hemisphere and October to March in the southern hemisphere.
Soapwort has various medicinal functions as an expectorant and laxative, but has to be used with care. Saponins are toxic when ingested. An overdose can cause nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. But it acquired its common name through use for cleaning.
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