Sapindus drummondii
| Sapindus drummondii | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 39' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Sapindus drummondii (common name: western soapberry)
Propagation: Seed - requires some cold stratification. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in a cold frame in mid-winter. Move to a greenhouse in early spring. The seed should germinate in late spring. 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.
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Fairly good percentage[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in any well-drained soil in full sun[2]. This species tolerates a wide range of soils, including those that are dry, stony and nutrient deficient[3].
One report says that this species will probably not survive long outdoors in Britain, even though it is the hardiest member of the genus[4]. Another says that it is quite hardy in Britain[5] whilst a third says that it can tolerate temperatures down to about -7°c[3]. A specimen planted at Kew in 1987 was 2½ metres tall and looking very healthy in August 1999[K].
Trees are relatively slow-growing in the wild[6].
Range: South-western N. America - Kansas to Northern Mexico.
Habitat: Limestone bluffs, slopes and by streams[7], in moist clay or dry limestone[8]. Mexican valleys from the upper desert to the woodland zones[9].
Edibility: Fruit[10]. No more details from this report but another report says that it is poisonous[11]. The berry-like fruits have a leathery coat that contains poisonous saponins[6]. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter[3] and often hangs on the tree until the following spring[8].
Medicinal: The fruit is antirheumatic and febrifuge[11]. It is used in the treatment of kidney diseases[11][12].
A poultice of the sap has been used to treat wounds[13].
Usage: A soap is obtained from the fruit by rubbing the fruit in water[4][5][14][15]. Used in Mexico for washing clothes[12]. The fruit can be dried and stored for later use[16].
Buttons and necklaces are made from the seed[11].
Wood - heavy, strong and close-grained[8][11]. It weighs 51lb per cubic foot[12]. It splits easily into thin strips and is often used in basket making, it is also used as a fuel[17][8][12][6].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Mid Spring-Mid Fall
Seed Ripens: Late Fall
Flower Type: Monoecious
Known Hazards: The seed is poisonous[4]. The fruit is poisonous[11].
Also Known As: S. saponaria drummondii. (Hook.&Arn.)L.Benson.
Links
References
- ↑ Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Stapleton, Chris. Bamboos of Nepal. The Royal Botanic Gardens, 1994.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ Pesman, M. Meet Flora Mexicana. Dale S King, 1962.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ Heywood, Vernon. Flowering Plants of the World. Oxford University Press.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.