Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Caryophyllales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Soapwort at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-15-001:
Saponaria officinalis FAMILY Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Saponaria officinalis
COMMON NAME:
Soapwort, Bouncing Bet
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_saof4_001_lvd
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_saof4_010_lvd
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Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville23
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
A green or red-tinged calyx tube, 10 protruding stamens and usually 2 styles, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
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Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville24
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
Leaves sessile or clasping, strongly 3-veined, smooth, per Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019).
)
Stephanie C. Brundage scb_061917blairsville25
June Union County GA
Georgia Mountain Research & Education Center
)
Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7969
June Catawba County NC
Petals narrowly wedge-shaped, indented at the summit, and somewhat reflexed, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7979
June Catawba County NC
Inflorescence a dense cluster of flowers atop the thick-jointed stem, per Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005).
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Terry Holdsclaw tdh_s_officinalis_7985
June Catawba County NC
When mixed with water, crushed leaves & roots make lather, hence "Soapwort", per Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Saponaria officinalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 071-15-001:
Saponaria officinalis
FAMILY
Caryophyllaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Saponaria officinalis
1319
Forb
Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed areas, fields, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Common (uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & SC)
Click here to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
LEAVES:
Simple
Opposite
Leaves sessile or clasping
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Nearly white/ light pink
Usually bisexual
Radially symmetrical
5-lobed calyx
5-limbed corolla
10 exserted stamens
Superior ovary
Flowers in dense cymes
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Guide to the Wildflowers of SC (Porcher & Rayner, 2001) p392
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p258
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p131
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p011
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p067
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p056
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p078
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p039