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Saponaria officinalis

Auckland. Feb 2007.<br>Photographer: Peter J de Lange, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>.

Beside Danube River, Weltenburg, Bavaria, Germany.<br>Photographer: Colin C. Ogle, Date taken: 16/07/2015, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>

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Common names

Soapwort

Biostatus

Exotic

Conservation status

Not applicable

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Flower colours

Red/Pink, White

Detailed taxonomy

Genus

Saponaria

Family

Caryophyllaceae

Authority

Saponaria officinalis L.

Endemic family

Ecology

Year naturalised

1904

Origin

Europe

Other information

Etymology

saponaria: New Latin, from Medieval Latin, feminine of saponarius of soap, from Latin sapon-, sapo soap + -arius -ary

officinalis: From the Latin officina shortened from opificina which originally meant ‘workshop’ but later came to mean a monastic storeroom, herb-room or pharmacy. Refers to the plant’s real or perceived medicinal value.

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