Soapwort
Given Name: Saponaria officinalis
Nicknames: bouncing bet, farewell summer, fuller's herb, lady's washbowl, sweet betty, latheroot, old maid's pink, lady by the garden gate
Family: Caryophyllaceae (carnation/pink)
Well hello my wonderful, glorious, magnificent friends! How delightful it is to see you. And on such a marvelously beautiful day!
But everyday is beautiful, don't you think?
When the sun shines, I soak in its rays and then when it rains, those water droplets feel so good, plopping down onto my opposite, smooth, lance-shaped leaves. What a gift it is to be alive! And speaking of gifts, I've got one for you. Do you know what it is? Ooooooo... I'm so excited... I love surprises, don't you? I'll give you three guesses... I don't think you'll figure it out....
Oh.
Why, yes.
It is soap.
How did you know? Did someone tell you? Or are you psychic? Ah, silly me. You're right, soap is in my name! Duh!
I can be such an bubblebrain sometimes. I think all that potential for frothiness inside me must be getting in the way of my thinking. Lol!
Now, aren't you smiling just thinking of my suds? Who doesn't love bubbles? They're like magic. But really, they're science. Which makes them even more magical because it's amazing what the world around us can do!
My frothing magic is caused by a chemical inside me called saponic glycoside. And because I have a lot of this chemical, people in Europe and Asia, where I'm from, have been using me as a soap substitute since at least the Middle Ages. I was historically used to clean wool, tapestries and silk. Even, after the industrial revolution, fields of me used to be planted around textile mills as a source of detergent.
If you've never lathered with me before, you're sure in for a treat. It's easy!
You can crush my leaves in warm water to make a slightly frothy liquid or boil my roots in water. If you want a soap source through the winter, dig my roots in the fall and dry them so that I'm available for cleaning at your convenience!
The chemical that causes my bubbling, though, is actually not good for you to ingest...
...so don't eat me!
I imagine that after reading about some of my tasty botanical friends, you might be getting excited about wild and uncommon edibles but don't make the mistake of thinking we're all safe. You need to choose the plants you eat carefully because some of us helpful plants can still make you sick.
Personally, I won't kill you but I will make you throw up. You can think of it as having bubble belly... hehe... no, not funny?
You're right... I got carried away... sorry. I've been told that my enthusiasm can be too much sometimes. Like my spreading. Oh, when I'm in a light sandy soil, I relish the feeling of freedom as my underground rhizomes slip through the earth, like they're lubricated with soap. Then my stems can bubble up out of the ground all over the place creating large, dense colonies.
Woohoo! It's such an exhilarating experience.
And then there's the thrill of helping keep others alive too. My clumps of pink or white, five-petaled blooms feed hummingbirds, butterflies and moths. Especially night moths- goodness me, you should see how my evening fragrance attracts them.
But enough chit chat! Let's make the most of living in this splendiferous world!
Live, laugh, love,
Bubbly Soapwort
Resources:
Cardenas, H. (2011, March 9). “Saponaria officinalis: Growing Soapwort”. Mother Earth Living. https://www.motherearthliving.com/health-and-wellness/saponaria-officinalis-growing-soapwort/
“Ohio Perennial and Biennial Weed Guide: Bouncingbet (Saponatia officinalis)” (n.d.). The Ohio State University. https://weedguide.cfaes.osu.edu/singlerecord.asp?id=10
“Saponaria officinalis” (n.d.). North Carolina State Extension. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/saponaria-officinalis/
"Saponaria officinalis- L.” (n.d.). Plants for a Future. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Saponaria+officinalis
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