Saponaria officinalis
Common name
Soapwort
Family
Caryophyllaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
Red/Pink, White
Year naturalised
1904
Origin
Europe
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.