Soapy Substance – Identify the Plant
Q: When I was a boy during the 1930s in Savannah, I found a wild plant which, if the leaves were rubbed, yielded a soapy substance. What was that plant?
A: Wild plant expert Shannon Pable (shannonpable.com) says you likely found soapwort, Saponaria officinalis. This hardy perennial can be grown in a sunny bed but it may spread more than you like. You can make a natural soap, or even shampoo, by boiling the leaves, roots and stems. Seeds can be found online.
-
-
-
1
What Range Can Cabbage And Lettuce Crops Stand Before Being Frozen?
-
2
Do Strawberries Ripen Off the Vine?
-
3
Tips for Pruning Rhododendrons
-
4
Plants with “Daniel” in the name
-
5
Post-Planting Droop
-
1
Post-Planting Droop
-
2
Sometimes Bubbles Can Be Useful
-
3
Weed Chemicals Aren’t Mind Readers
-
4
Tips for Pruning Rhododendrons
-
5
Christmas Fern Is a Tough Cookie
-
