Soapwort (saponaria) in the garden, medicine or decoration. About soapwort and its beneficial properties What soap root looks like

Saponaria (soapwort) is an interesting perennial or annual plant of the carnation family. Its name arose due to the high content of a special substance in the roots - saponin, which forms a lush foam upon contact with water. In ancient times, the root of this plant was used as soap, which has good cleansing properties. It is not only very impressive, but is also widely used in folk medicine, the food industry and cosmetology, and growing it on your own plot is not difficult even for a novice gardener.

How and where does saponaria grow in open ground?

Soapwort loves rocky, poor soils, so it is easy to cultivate even for lazy gardeners

This beautiful herbaceous crop grows on high mountain rocky slopes and plateaus in Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus and Asia, beginning to flower from mid-July to early autumn and reaching from 10 to 80 cm in height. There are several varieties and varieties of saponaria, but they all have thin, straight stems with small oval leaves.

The color of the petals of different plant varieties can differ radically, and the flowers themselves are collected in small fragrant inflorescences. Decorative saponaria is unpretentious and does not require special growing conditions.

Types of plants: photo with description

There are more than 40 plant species in the wild, but only 10 of them are used as ornamental crops. The most popular and widespread varieties are the varieties of medicinal and basilicoleaf saponaria.

The medicinal species includes plants up to 1 m high with well-leafed numerous stems and long oval leaves about 10 cm long. The flowers reach 3 cm in diameter, collected in loose inflorescences of pink or cream color.

Medicinal saponaria has earned the love of flower growers due to its unpretentiousness, beautiful flowering and bright, strong aroma.

The most common varieties of medicinal saponaria:

• Flora Pleno - a plant with lush double flowers of a soft cream color;

The thickets of this plant look very decorative

• Variegata is distinguished by an interesting variegated leaf color, in which light green and dark green stripes alternate;

Variegata does not bloom as brightly as other varieties, but looks good in a flowerbed due to its interesting greenery

• Betty Arnold is characterized by long stems with snow-white double inflorescences at the tops.

Planted in the center of a flowerbed, this soapwort will be its decoration

A separate varietal group stands out with large, bright and very dense inflorescences of lilac, white or pinkish tint:

• Alba Plena;

Unlike medicinal varieties of saponaria, decorative varieties have larger and neater inflorescences

• Rosea Plena;

Rosea Plena is a very spectacular, “noble” variety of saponaria

• Pumila.

This type of soapwort is interesting due to its unusual flower shape and purple-burgundy-pink tint.

An equally interesting and beautiful variety of plant can be called basilico-leaved saponaria. This is a low (up to 20 cm) ground cover crop with soft stems creeping along the ground, at the very tips of which there are large inflorescences, and oblong bright green leaves.

Its popular varieties include:

• Luxury, characterized by bright pink flowers growing directly on the shoots;
• Rubra Kompakta - its difference from the previous variety is only in a darker shade of pink;

The bright flowers of these plants will decorate any alpine hill

• Camilla - light pink;

The delicate shade of flowers of this species is very pleasing to the eye.

• Snowy top - with white flowers collected in loose inflorescences;

Due to the rich white color and neat lines of the flowers, this type of saponaria looks very beautiful in the flowerbed.

• Moondust is a very popular variety among basil leaf soapwort.

Ground cover soapwort is also used for vertical gardening.

In addition to these two species, several more hybrids and varieties of saponaria have been developed that are not widely used. This is Saponaria Olivana - a low-growing perennial hybrid with large dark pink flowers, growing in small bushes.

This type of soapwort will fit very well into a rockery

Soddy soapwort is also classified as a separate species - a ground cover plant with elongated dark leaves and thin stems up to 7 cm high, which can become woody at the very base. It is characterized by delicate light pink inflorescences.

Soddy saponaria can also be used as a border plant

Only seeds of medicinal or basilicoleaf saponaria varieties are available for free sale. The remaining varieties are extremely rare and inaccessible to a wide range of amateur gardeners.

Review of the pink variety on video

Role in landscape design

A beautiful mat of overgrown miniature soapwort bushes looks great on rocky rock gardens, sloping areas or individual flower beds decorated with large stones.

You can plant some saponaria in the middle of the lawn or as a border near roses, decorative daisies, or peonies. Rocky hills are ideal for it, and it also makes sense to place the plant in hanging flowerpots or small pots. This arrangement will allow the stems to hang down freely, forming bright compositions for decorating the walls of a house or gazebo.

Saponaria looks best in combination with the following plants:

Soapwort will look great in potted arrangements for decorating stairs

• saxifrage;
• roses;
• sage;
• bells;
• echinacea;
• sunshine;
• splint;
• salvia.

This fragrant plant looks great on its own, without neighbors.

It often reproduces by self-seeding, which should be taken into account when choosing a location. To prevent self-dispersal, it is necessary to trim off the wilted inflorescences along with a small section of the stem. This procedure will help to achieve more magnificent subsequent flowering.

Application options in the photo

Among the stones, soapwort has a perfect place. Saponaria bushes look good among a stone garden. Saponaria also looks good in single plantings. It also looks great on an alpine hill. Soapwort will take its rightful place in a rock garden

Methods of growing and planting options for soapwort

In its natural habitat, saponaria grows on poor, rocky soils, which should be taken into account when choosing a site for planting.

The place should be sunny, because a lack of light causes the color of the flowers to become paler and more inconspicuous. It is possible to plant the plant in partial shade, but you will have to pay more attention to it and provide proper care.

The soil should not be too fertile, but limestone, but with good drainage, is best. It is needed to ensure that the soil does not become oversaturated with moisture, which is detrimental to the roots of the plant. Ideally, the soil should be loose, high in calcium and low in nitrogen. It is better to mulch the ground around the plantings with gravel or small crushed stone.

It is better to plant seedlings in the ground by removing the entire clod of soil from the cell, so as not to injure the small roots

Saponaria is propagated in three ways:

• seeds - you can plant it either as seedlings in March, or directly in open ground in May or late October;
• by dividing a large, well-grown bush - in the spring it is carefully dug up, divided into 2-3 parts and planted in prepared holes, where a little bone meal has been added in advance;
• by cutting the strongest and thickest stems before flowering - their tops are cut off, the lower leaves are removed and rooted in damp sand, and after the roots appear, the seedlings can be planted in open ground.

When using the seedling method, several drainage holes are made in a small container, then soil is poured. Seeds are planted in it, watered and covered with film or glass until the first shoots. As soon as the sprouts hatch, the shelter is removed, and when the fourth leaf appears, the seedlings are planted in separate containers and provided with bright lighting. In May, young plants are planted in a permanent place.

Necessary care

Saponaria is an ideal ornamental plant that does not require special care. It is quite drought-resistant and loves direct sunlight. It should be watered rarely and only during a long absence of rain.

The main condition for rapid growth is well-drained, loose soil. Therefore, after watering or rain, it is worth fluffing the soil a little to give the roots an influx of oxygen.

Before wintering, the stems of the plant must be cut by a third, and it does not need additional feeding and fertilizers.

For the winter, it is better to cover the saponaria so that it does not freeze, because only the medicinal variety is considered frost-resistant, and the basilica variety is not able to withstand temperatures below -20 °C. This perennial disperses well on its own, and if the gardener does not want to allow uncontrolled growth, it is necessary to cut off the seed pods from the stems no later than September.

It is better to remove the boll from the plant over a bowl or other container so that its seeds do not fall to the ground during the process.

Possible problems and solutions

The perennial is rarely affected by diseases and pests, but can sometimes suffer from an attack by the garden cutworm. This butterfly feeds on ripened seeds from fruit pods and lays eggs directly on the stem of the plant. The greatest harm is caused by cutworm caterpillars, which chew off the bases of the shoots, leading to the death of the flower. You can get rid of the pest by manually collecting caterpillars and larvae, as well as the drugs Fufanon, Zolon, Dursban, Danadim.

It is imperative to get rid of this pest, as it can easily “spread” to vegetable crops by cutting off young plants at the root

Excessive soil moisture is fraught with the occurrence of various fungal infections: leaf spot and root rot. If black or brown spots are found on the stems and leaves, the affected areas are cut off, and the remaining shoots are treated with a solution of Fundazol or 1% Bordeaux mixture. If the entire plant is affected, it will no longer be possible to save it.

Other pests and diseases are not scary for soapwort, and it is not at all difficult to achieve beautiful flowering in a flower bed.

A blooming carpet of soapwort looks charming

Soapwort officinalis is a perennial, 30-90 cm high, which is often used as an ornamental plant. In the past, the roots of this plant were used instead of soap, which is why it has such strange names among the people as soap grass, cuckoo soap, dog soap, Tatar soap, soap root, bladderwort and others - white carnation, field carnation, air jasmine, bobwort , cokel, field violet, contracter, jointer, etc.

The plant has numerous long and thin creeping roots, reddish-brown in color, which reaches 35 cm in length. The stem is branched, the leaves are elliptical, short-petioled, oblong and acute, with three veins. The flowers are white or pink on short stalks, large, smell good, collected in paniculate inflorescences. The fruits are in the form of an oblong-ovoid capsule. Soapwort seeds are small and dark in color.

Soapwort blooms in summer, in June-August, the seeds ripen in August.

Soapwort is widespread in Ukraine, southern Russia, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and other countries. It grows along river banks, on forest edges, among thickets, and sometimes in wastelands.

For medicinal purposes, rhizomes with roots, known as “red soap root,” as well as leaves are used. The root is harvested in spring or autumn, but better in autumn. It is dug up and cleared of soil, washed in cold water, crushed into small pieces of 8-10 cm and dried outdoors in the shade. The shelf life of harvested roots is 3 years.

Soapwort officinalis is an excellent expectorant, as well as antimicrobial, diuretic, choleretic, wound healing, diaphoretic and antirheumatic. Soapwort also has antiviral activity.

Soapwort leaves contain such useful components as the glycoside saponarin, ascorbic acid, but the roots are especially valuable; they contain saponaroside, saporubrin and saporubric acid, mucus and pectins.

In folk medicine, an infusion of soapwort roots and leaves is used for many diseases: cough, whooping cough, sore throat, runny nose, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis, jaundice, liver and spleen diseases, cholecystitis, dropsy, gastrointestinal diseases, constipation, furunculosis, scabies, gout, rheumatism, various polyarthritis, psoriasis, lichen, eczema. A decoction of the roots is used to wash your hair to prevent hair loss.

Also in folk medicine, soapwort rhizomes are used for prostate adenoma. In a mixture with other herbs, it is used for prostatitis, frequent emissions and cervical cystitis.

In traditional medicine, preparations are made from soapwort, which are used to thin and expectorate mucus in diseases of the respiratory tract and lungs, and also as a laxative and diuretic.

Baths from a decoction of soapwort roots are taken for purulent wounds, scabies, rheumatism, persistent rashes, for the treatment of lichen, including scaly, eczema and boils.

For sore throats, gargling with a decoction of soapwort root helps a lot.

Infusion of soapwort rhizomes : Pour 1 teaspoon of chopped roots with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 4 hours and strain. Drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day after meals, for furunculosis and other diseases.

For herpes, soapwort decoction and: 20 g of soapwort roots, pour 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 5-7 minutes over low heat. Use as compresses for washing affected areas.

For rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis: 1 teaspoon of crushed root, pour 1 glass of water, boiling water, boil in a water bath for 15 minutes, then strain. Bring the volume of the decoction to the original volume, i.e. up to 1 cup, adding boiled water. Take 1 glass 4 times a day for 2 weeks, then a 10-day break. Repeat the course 1-2 more times.

For obesity, soapwort, decoction: 1 teaspoon of crushed soapwort root, pour 1 glass of water, boil for 15 minutes over low heat in a sealed container. Leave for 1 hour, then strain. Take 1 glass 3 times a day for 15 days, then take a break for 10 days. For good results, repeat the course 2-3 times.

For sore throats, it is also effective to use this collection: we take the roots of soapwort and the leaves of clary sage in a ratio of 1:2, then pour 30 g of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 5 minutes, then strain. Use the broth for rinsing.

Soapwort officinalis, contraindications . The plant is poisonous, so ingestion of large doses of soapwort can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In this case, taking soapwort should be stopped immediately.

Total reviews for this topic - 9 Pages - 1

write, who used soapwort for cough, bronchitis? How effective is this?

How to use the root for psoriasis? I really need the recipe!!

To treat psoriasis using soapwort roots, there is the following recipe: soapwort roots, finely chopped and soaked for 5-6 hours in cold water. Periodically (several times) collect and remove the formed foam, then dry the roots. Next, take 1 tsp. with a top of dry soapwort roots (this is 6 g), pour 200 ml of boiling water, cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat and leave for another 12 hours. Use the decoction as a lotion on the affected areas.
There are other recipes for psoriasis using soapwort, but this is a herb: take 3 tbsp. spoons dry and measured. herbs, pour 100 ml of 70% alcohol and leave for 2 weeks. And also apply lotions to the affected areas of the skin.
Or, you can also lubricate the pores. areas with fresh celandine juice, slightly diluting the boil. water.

There are many plants in nature that can form foam. This is due to the presence of saponins in their composition - amorphous substances that are highly soluble in water and have the ability to produce foam solutions.

It turns out that the saponin emulsion literally pulls dirt out of clothes and linen: part of the molecule dissolves in water, and part in fat, forming compounds with microparticles of dirt that are easily washed out. Solutions containing saponins are used for washing and bleaching especially delicate wool, silk and other fabrics that are damaged by ordinary soap.

Elderberry, field weed - cockle, tinder fungus, horse chestnut, common bracken, common soapwort...

What do they have in common? These plants can replace soap.

Saponins are widespread in nature, they are found in the leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits of various plants. These are mainly plants that belong to the Liliaceae and Amaryllis families. Plants from the Solanaceae, Rannikaceae, and Clove families are also rich in them. These are plants such as soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L), firecracker (common gum), adonis (lychnis), paniculate bream (gypsophila paniculata), which have saponins in all their parts.

There are especially many saponins in the roots. Young plants have significantly fewer of them than old ones, and from the moment of flowering their number increases significantly. Saponins, unlike soap, do not create an alkaline reaction, which is a big plus.

Among the foaming plants in our area, the first place is taken by soapwort, which is also called “soap grass”, “red soap root”, “dog soap”. The name of the plant is due to the fact that when soapwort roots are rubbed with water, a lush foam is formed that does not settle for a long time.

Dried and crushed rhizomes lather especially well, so they are prepared for future use: dried, ground into powder, diluted with water and washed or washed. After such washing, things acquire a pleasant smell and moths do not appear in them. Soapwort contains 32% saponin.

The process can be accelerated by heating the water: boiling a small amount of roots for several minutes. You can wash, bathe, and wash your hair in the resulting “essence” - for your own benefit and without harming nature. When washing your body with soapwort, you should not inhale or taste the foam, as it may cause sneezing.

Gryzhnika naked, popular name “dog soap”. Grows on sandy soils, rocky slopes, along the edges of fields, in wastelands, on cliffs of river banks. Distributed throughout Europe. The leaves of the hernia glabra, when rubbed with water, produce soap foam, which perfectly washes and softens hands; you can wash silk and woolen items in it.

Adonis, white dawn - a plant of the carnation family, which is also called “wild soap”, “Tatar soap”, “boyar or lordly arrogance” - Lychnis alba. Lychnis from the Greek word lychnos - lamp, torch.

The white flowers smell pleasant, bloom at night and are visible far in the dark. Its roots have been used since ancient times to remove grease during washing and remove greasy stains from clothes, as well as for washing hands. It is best to use powder from the roots of this plant.

Smolevka

Tar cracker belongs to the clove family. The white flowers of this plant have a swollen calyx that makes a good sound when pressed. Has a sticky stem. All parts of the plant, including the roots, are used as soap.

Licorice is also a foam-producing plant. The powder obtained from its roots is capable of producing abundant foam when combined with water.

The tinder fungus that grows on the trunks of larches is also used as soap; it is called the “leaf sponge.” Only the inner fabric is used for washing.

In Rus' it has long been used instead of soap. Its underground parts contain a lot of potassium. The rhizomes lather well and are absolutely harmless.

Soap tree, which is native to Kentucky, but is sometimes found in Ukraine. It is called the Kentucky coffee tree and was brought to the Soviet Union in the 60s of the twentieth century. as a decorative tree to decorate cities. But it has not become widespread in landscaping and therefore today it is found in green spaces in the form of single specimens.

Bunduk is very similar to acacia (Gledicia) in the external shape of its fruits and leaves, only the leaves of Bunduk are larger than those of acacia. This plant belongs to the legume family.

The green mass in the fruits is lathering at Bunduk's.

Nice smell! The pods hang on the tree all year round - you need to wash your hands, pick mine too. Perfectly removes grease. You can use it to wash your face, wash your hair and wash your clothes. The fruit is shaped like a dumpling. The entire space inside the “dumpling” is filled with a pleasant shade of green thickened mass - like concentrated shampoo. This shampoo is soap. This plant, although a tree, is a legume. It is a relative of the coffee tree, and its fruits are consumed as a coffee substitute.

In Rus', horsetail was used for a long time exclusively for economic purposes. A decoction of its roots was used to dye wool, and with the herb they polished stones, polished metals, cleaned pewter dishes or ordinary smoked kitchen utensils, and even washed wooden floors white. And the secret of the cleaning properties of horsetail was the presence of silicic acid in its stems. It was thanks to this substance that horsetail turned out to be beneficial for health and found its way into the pages of herbalists.

Soapwort officinalis (wild soap, arapka) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Clove family. It grows in the southern territories of the European part of Russia, in Siberia, and the Caucasus. Soapfly prefers open places: meadows, river valleys, unused fields, etc.

Popular in ornamental gardening - many cultivated varieties of soapwort have now been developed. This plant has long been used in folk medicine, and its properties are also recognized by official medicine. Previously, soapwort roots were used instead of soap - hence the name.

Blank

Soapwort officinalis has knotty rhizomes up to 1 cm thick, erect stems up to 70 cm high, simple elliptical or lanceolate leaves. It blooms throughout the summer with fragrant flowers collected in paniculate inflorescences.
In folk medicine, rhizomes and leaves of Soapwort officinalis are used. The rhizomes of soapwort are called “red soap root”.

The roots are harvested in the fall, after the end of the growing season, or in early spring, before it begins: the roots are dug up, washed in cold water, cut into pieces 8-10 cm long and dried in a well-ventilated room or a special dryer at a temperature of no more than 50 ° C .

Dried rhizomes are stored in wooden boxes or fabric bags for no more than three years.

The leaf is harvested during the soapwort flowering: collected and dried in a well-ventilated area, spread out in a thin layer, or in a dryer.

Composition and properties

Soapwort is rich in: glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, tannins, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, pectins, resins, mucus and essential oil. The leaves also contain alkaloids. Soapwort has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitussive, expectorant, wound-healing, antirheumatic, urinary, diuretic and choleretic effects.

In folk medicine, soapwort is used for:

• sore throat, laryngitis, fringitis;
• cough, bronchitis, whooping cough, pneumonia;
• heartburn, nausea;

• diseases of the liver and spleen (jaundice, etc.);
• cholecystitis;
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• constipation;
• dropsy;
• rheumatism, gout, arthritis;
• prostate adenoma, prostatitis;
• obesity;
• scabies, lichen, psoriasis, eczema, herpes, furunculosis, purulent wounds;
• hair loss.

Recipes

Infusion:

• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the soapwort root, let it brew for 4 hours and strain. Take 2 tablespoons three times daily after meals.

Decoction for rheumatism:

• 1 tsp crushed soapwort root;
• 1 tbsp. hot water.

Fill the soapwort with water and cook for 15 minutes in a water bath. Strain. Add the resulting decoction with boiled water to the original volume. Drink a glass 4 times a day. Recommended course of treatment: 14 days of admission, 10 days of break, then repeat the course 1-2 times. This decoction also helps with rheumatoid arthritis.

Decoction for obesity:

• 1 tsp crushed soapwort root;
• 1 tbsp. hot water.

Pour water over the root and boil for 15 minutes, covered, over low heat. Then let the broth brew for an hour and strain. Drink a glass three times a day. Recommended course of treatment: 15 days on, 10 days off - repeat 2-3 times.
Rinse for sore throat:

• 1 part soapwort root;
• 2 parts sage leaves.

Brew 30 grams of a mixture of soapwort and sage with a glass of boiling water, boil for 5 minutes. Strain. Use as a gargle for sore throat.

Decoction for external use:

• 20 g soapwort root;
• 1 tbsp boiling water.

Pour boiling water over the roots, boil for 5-7 minutes over low heat and strain. Use for rinsing and compresses for skin lesions (herpes, etc.).
Acne lotion:

• 1 tbsp. crushed soapwort root;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour boiling water over the soapwort root, boil for 5-7 minutes, then strain. Use to wipe acne-affected skin areas.

Soapwort-based shampoo for hair growth:

• 30 g soapwort roots;
• 30 g of herb suitable for hair type;
• 500 ml boiling water.

Grind the soapwort roots, pour boiling water over them and leave to steep for 12 hours. Then bring the infusion to a boil, boil for 15 minutes, remove from the stove, add the herb of choice and let it brew under the lid for 30-40 minutes.

Strain. The shampoo can be used immediately. If you plan to store it, you can add a preservative - potassium sorbate. The shampoo should be stored in the refrigerator and shaken and warmed before use.
The herb for this shampoo is chosen according to the type of hair: lavender is suitable for oily hair, marshmallow for dry hair, chamomile for light hair, rosemary for dark hair, etc.
As a result of regular use of this shampoo, hair roots are strengthened, hair loss is reduced, and hair becomes shiny and soft.

Contraindications

Soapwort officinalis is a poisonous plant! It is not recommended for children, pregnant women and people with individual intolerance.
Long-term use of soapwort is dangerous, as is exceeding the recommended dosages of medicines prepared on its basis. In case of overdose, the following side effects may occur: abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, dry mouth, chills, cramps, cough, etc.