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Caryophyllaceae
Bouncing Bet
Saponaria officinalis
Cleansing and renewal.
- Family
- Caryophyllaceae
- Genus
- Saponaria
- Native to
- Europe, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 1-3 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- average, well-drained
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3-9
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The roots and leaves produce natural soap when crushed in water, and were used to wash wool and delicate fabrics for centuries.
- Museum conservators still use bouncing bet solutions to clean fragile antique textiles.
- Its name 'Bet' refers to washerwomen, who were commonly called Betty or Bet in old England.
- The plant is so vigorous it can become invasive, spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes.
- It was one of the first European plants to become naturalized in North America, arriving with colonial settlers.
Color meanings
0
purification
1
fresh starts