Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)

Image: © Evelyn Simak Taken: 15 Jul 2017

Soapwort is a member of the carnation family and believed to have been introduced from Europe in ancient times. It can be found growing in a wide range of marginal habitats such as road verges, hedges, banks and waste ground, and most frequently in damp woods and alongside streams. The plant's main use was, and still is, for making soap. Boiling any part of it in water yields a detergent. The plant also has a tradition of being used as a medicinal herb for treating skin conditions. Soapwort forms the basis of many conditioning shampoos and body washes and it can be used as a bath additive by either crushing its dried root and putting a few tablespoons in a muslin bag, or by boiling the root to extract the juice.

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