Grow Bouncing Bet Along Roadside Edges of Your Property

If encouraged by selective weeding, a lovely wildflower consisting of light pink clusters can brighten up the roadside edges of your country property. Saponaria Officinalis, the common soapwort (known colloquially as Bouncing Bet) is a delicately hued perennial of the Carnation family, sometimes mistaken for phlox. Blooming in July, if the soapwort plant is crushed and combined with water, it forms a mild sudsing solution with the cleaning properties of soap. This effect is due to the presence of chemicals called saponins.

Saponins

The word saponin refers, not to any individual compound, but to a class of compounds-a variety of glycosides. Saponins generate a soapy lather when shaken with water. Two common plant saponins are solanine (found in green potatoes) and digoxin (found in foxglove), both of which are toxic-yet digoxin is also the original source of digitalis, used to treat atrial fibrillation and other heart ailments. Other saponins may prove useful additions, perhaps with chemical modification, to the pharmacopoeia.

Properties of Saponins

Although saponins have side chains incorporating glucose and galactose moieties, saponins are generally bitter. The MetaCyc website says, "Plants rich on saponins have... allelopathic, antiflammatory, hemolytic, cholesterol lowering and anticancer properties..." The site also acknowledges plants containing saponins are less digestible to ruminants and are toxic to cold-blooded animals and insects. Although some cultures use soapwort to make beer, or as an emulsifier, it may be discreet to avoid using Bouncing Bet for internal applications. On the other hand, some items that are considered too delicate to clean with commercial soap respond well to cleansing using soapwort.

Used by Native Americans

The book entitled, "When Technology Fails: a Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency," by Matthew Stein, tells us on page 406, "It has been said that Native Americans bathed regularly and were often appalled by the smell of white pioneer men." After suggesting the possibility that Bouncing Bet might prove useful in an emergency event, the author indicates the desirability of first testing a small amount on a small area of one's body to determine if he experiences an allergic reaction.

Cattle and Other Animals

Bouncing bet is generally seen growing along roadways, however it is also abundant along railroad tracks and in waste areas. The saponins found in soapwort can produce nausea, vomiting, and other indications of digestive distress in cattle and other animals. Cows should not be allowed to graze where Bouncing Bet grows in abundance. The largest concentration of toxic ingredients is found within the seeds, and feed can be contaminated in this way. The good news is that generally cattle refuse to feed if there is an abundance of the contaminant present in their feed.

References and Resources:

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Saponaria Officinalis

The Green Chronicle - How to Make Soapwort Shampoo

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Veterinary Medicine Library - Bouncing Bet