Saponaria officinalis L.
Family: Caryophyllaceae
bouncing-bet, soapwort
[Lychnis saponaria Jess.]
Saponaria officinalis image
Matthew L. Wagner  
Saponaria officinalis image
Michael Clayton  
Etymology: Saponaria: sometimes called soapwort, the name derives from the Latin sapo, "soap," for its soap-producing qualities
Plants: erect, perennial, 1'-3' tall, mostly hairless forb; stems leafy; with colony-forming rhizomes
Leaves: opposite, lance-shaped, stalkless, with a prominent "bump" at the nodes
Flowers: white to pink, 5-parted, 3/4"-1" wide, fragrant, often double; tube-forming sepals 1" or longer, petals flaring backward; inflorescence a many-flowered, domed cluster; blooms July-Oct.
Habitat: disturbed sites, often sandy sites
Hazardous: Careful, this plant is hazardous!
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized; potentially invasive
Saponaria officinalis image
Michael Clayton  
Saponaria officinalis image
Steve C. Garske  
Saponaria officinalis image
Steve C. Garske  
Saponaria officinalis image
Michael Clayton  
Saponaria officinalis image
Merel R. Black  
Saponaria officinalis image
Janice Stiefel  
Saponaria officinalis image
Matthew L. Wagner  
Saponaria officinalis image
Robert Bierman  
Saponaria officinalis image
Merel R. Black  
Saponaria officinalis image
Steve C. Garske  
Saponaria officinalis image
Janice Stiefel  
Saponaria officinalis image
Merel R. Black  
Saponaria officinalis image
Merel R. Black  
Saponaria officinalis image
Botanical Illustration  
Saponaria officinalis image
Botanical Illustration  
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Aaron_Carlson  
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Aaron_Carlson  
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Aaron_Carlson  
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Aaron_Carlson  
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image
Saponaria officinalis image