Soapberry. (Sapindus species). The scientific name for this tree
explains the berry’s use- Sapindus is a combination of the Latin for soap
and “Indus” (Indian_) in reference to American Indians using the berries
for soap. Soapberries, the pulp of which contains saponin, lather up
easily and were valued for shampooing, although the soap made from them
does damage some materials. Two species are of horticultural importance.
Sapindus marginatus is a deciduous tree up to 30 feet tall with yellow,
egg shaped fruit about one inch long that grows only from the southern
part of zone 7 southward. Sapindus Saponaric, an evergreen, also grows up
to 30 feet, but is only hardy in zone 9- that is, southernmost Florida.
Both trees can be propagated by seed and do best in dry, sandy soil. The
lather-producing agent saponin in soapberries can be poisonous if taken
internally; in fact, American Indians caught fish by stupefying them with
bits of the fruit thrown into pools.
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