A DAMP MORNING
SOAPWORT AT THE BEACH
SAPONARIA OFFICINALISThursday, 7:30 AM. 60 degrees, wind WNW, calm. The sky is very hazy and it rained yesterday and some of last night, .8”
Soapwort, also called bouncing bet, Saponaria officinalis (in the pink family, the caryophyllaceae) is an Old World native escaped from cultivation and found on roadsides and other places. It can form rather large colonies, such as this one at the beach. It is attractive enough, with white petals often tinged with pink. The roots contain saponins, from which a soapy lather can be obtained. It had a number of herbal uses in past times, but primarily for the treatment of syphilis. It is very astringent and the roots probably should not be experimented with. Otherwise it is innocuous enough and not particularly aggressive.
No post tomorrow as we will be in Stevens Point for an Urban Forestry Council meeting.
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