Saponaria Flowers
Name : Saponaria Flowers
Latin Name : Genus: Saponaria, (Saponaria officinalis)
Saponaria Description
Saponaria is a genus comprising of about 20 species of annual and perennial herbs in the Pink Family, Caryophyllaceae, native to southern Europe and southwest Asia.
Common names for the Saponaria flower include Soapworts, Bouncing Bet, Rock Soapwort, Cow Herb and Sweet William. The common names Bouncing Bet and Rock Soapwort usually refer to the perennial varieties while Soapwort and Cow Herb are used for the annual species of this genus.
The most popular European species is the Saponaria officinalis or Common Soapwort, locally known as The Soapwort. This variety grows to a height of 10-60 cm, and has opposite leaves 1-6 cm long. Soapwort flowers are borne in tight clusters on the stem, 4-25 mm in diameter with five petals.
The dainty Saponaria or Soapwort blossom comes in soft shades of white, yellow, pink, pale purple and may also be scarlet in colour.
Soapwort flowers are small, starry and very abundant. The sweetly scented Saponaria are radially symmetrical and both annual and perennial varieties have a trailing habit. Annual Saponaria varieties range from about 15cm to 90cm in height. These varieties have lance shaped leaves and bloom in spring if sown in autumn, or in summer if sown in spring.
Soapworts are fairly easy to maintain, they grow freely in any soil and under most conditions. These flowers prefer a well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. They are well able to fend for themselves under wild garden conditions when well established. The flowering season for Soapworts is from July to September.
Soapworts propagate by seeds sown in early autumn or spring and by division at the start of spring, or from cuttings from soft wood at the start of summer. For annual varieties of Saponaria, the seeds should be sown either after the last frost of spring (for summer blooms) or at the start of autumn (for spring blooms).
Soapworts are elegant blossoms that enliven your garden. They work best when grown in patches, offering splashes of eye-catching, fragrant flowers in abundance. A number of varieties are useful for trimming rock gardens and flower borders. The annual varieties are better suited to rock gardens due to their small size.
The enchanting Soapworts are excellent cut flowers and look great in any flower arrangement. Their soft colours and small size make them ideal for contrasting with nigger, darkly hued blossoms. Saponarias make the perfect filler flowers and with a vase life of 5-7 days, they are a great addition to table centerpieces and bouquets for spring/summer weddings and other events.
Popular varieties include Saponaria ocymoides, a perennial, trailing variety with rose-pink flowers; Saponaria calabrica is a hardy annual variety that flowers in early summer and is covered with a multitude of small bright pink flowers. Saponaria Calabrica alba is another variety with beautiful white flowers; and Saponaria “Scarlet Queen” is a cultivar with bright crimson blossoms.
Saponaria Meaning
The botanical name Saponaria is derived from the Latin word sapo (stem sapon-) which means "soap." This is due to the fact that the plants in this genus contain saponin, a toxic substance which produces lather when in contact with water. Due to the same reason, the genus earns its common name Soapwort; moreover, Bouncing Bet is also an old nickname for a washer-woman.
Saponaria Mythology
In the Middle Ages, Soapwort was believed to possess magical properties and was used in potions for cleansing & purification.
Saponaria has various medicinal uses as well: it is used as an expectorant and laxative, but care should be taken when used as saponins may be toxic and an overdose can cause nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting.
Despite its toxic potential, Saponaria has culinary importance and is used as an emulsifier in the commercial preparation of tahini halva, a sweet made using tahini and sugar or honey, and also in brewing to create beer with a good, frothy "head".
Crushed leaves or roots of Saponaria officinalis have been used as soap since the Renaissance. Even today, museum conservators use soap made from Saponaria leaves and roots for cleaning delicate fabrics. It is also used to make a fine shampoo.
