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
Stinkhorn mushroom – Identification and Control
-
2
Onion
-
3
Encore Azaleas – Did Not Bloom Second Time
-
4
Pansy – Nitrate Nitrogen
-
5
Gardenia – Seed Pod
-
1
Encore Azaleas – Did Not Bloom Second Time
-
2
A Gardener’s Thanksgiving – Prayer
-
3
Wooly Bear Caterpillar – Identification
-
4
Long Day Onion- Bulbing
-
5
Gazebo – Greenhouse
-
