Western Soapberry
Sapindus drummondii

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

Sapindus drummondii is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft 4in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf from April to October, in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in November. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 12

Where it is found

Limestone bluffs, slopes and by streams, in moist clay or dry limestone. Mexican valleys from the upper desert to the woodland zones.

South-western N. America - Kansas to Northern Mexico.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Fruit. No more details from this report but another report says that it is poisonous. The berry-like fruits have a leathery coat that contains poisonous saponins. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter and often hangs on the tree until the following spring.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The fruit is antirheumatic and febrifuge. It is used in the treatment of kidney diseases. A poultice of the sap has been used to treat wounds.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Kidney: Used in the treatment of kidney diseases

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 3

A soap is obtained from the fruit by rubbing the fruit in water. Used in Mexico for washing clothes. The fruit can be dried and stored for later use. Buttons and necklaces are made from the seed. Wood - heavy, strong and close-grained. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot. It splits easily into thin strips and is often used in basket making, it is also used as a fuel.

Buttons: Plants that can be used as buttons. Not including making buttons from wood.

Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun. This species tolerates a wide range of soils, including those that are dry, stony and nutrient deficient. One report says that this species will probably not survive long outdoors in Britain, even though it is the hardiest member of the genus. Another says that it is quite hardy in Britain whilst a third says that it can tolerate temperatures down to about -7°c. A specimen planted at Kew in 1987 was 2½ metres tall and looking very healthy in August 1999. Trees are relatively slow-growing in the wild.

Propagating it: Seed - requires some cold stratification. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in a cold frame in mid-winter. Move to a greenhouse in early spring. The seed should germinate in late spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in early summer. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Fairly good percentage.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 7-10

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

The seed is poisonous. The fruit is poisonous.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. saponaria drummondii. (Hook.&Arn.)L.Benson.