Quillaja saponaria
| Quillaja saponaria | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 10 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 59' |
| Width: | 20' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Quillaja saponaria (common name: soap-bark tree)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in early summer and give some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of fully ripe wood of the current year's growth, November in a frame[1].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position[2].
Plants are hardy to about -12°c in their natural range in South America[3] but they usually require greenhouse protection in Britain[4]. They can succeed outdoors in the milder areas of this country, often as small shrubs but making a tree in the very mildest areas[3]. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts, so it is best to site the plant in a position sheltered from the early morning sun.
This species is cultivated for the saponins in its bark in some warm temperate areas of the world[1].
Range: S. America - Chile, Peru.
Habitat: Mountainous regions on the western slopes of the Andes[5][6].
Medicinal: Soap bark tree has a long history of medicinal use with the Andean people who used it especially as a treatment for various chest problems[7]. The saponin content of the bark helps to stimulate the production of a more fluid mucous in the airways, thus facilitating the removal of phlegm through coughing[7]. The tree is useful for treating any condition featuring congested catarrh within the chest, but it should not be used for dry irritable coughs[7].
The inner bark contains about 9% of complex saponins, known collectively as 'quillajasaponin'[1]. It also contains calcium oxalate and tannin[1]. It has been used internally as a stimulating expectorant, though it can cause irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract and so is no longer considered safe[8][1]. The internal use of this plant needs to be carefully overseen by a professional practitioner[7]. Sap bark tree is used as a source of compounds for the pharmaceutical industry[1]. It is still used externally as a cutaneous stimulant in the treatment of skin ulcers and eruptions, dandruff etc[6][1].
Usage: The fresh or dried inner bark is a soap substitute[8][5][6]. It contains about 9% saponins and is a very gentle and effective cleaner[5][6]. It is used for cleaning textiles and the skin[4][9][5][6]. It can also be used as a hair tonic[5][6]. The saponins are also used in anti-dandruff shampoos and exfoliant cleansers[1]. They are used as a foaming agent in fire extinguishers[1].
The bark also contains considerable quantities of carbonate of lime[4].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant is toxic if taken internally, tending to dissolve the blood corpuscles[6]._x005F
The bark, and possibly other parts of the plant, contains saponins[8]. Although toxic, saponins are very poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass through witho
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Taylor, Jane. The Milder Garden. Dent, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.