Western Soapberry
Sapindus drummondii

GROWING CONDITIONS
AN EXPLANAITION OF TERMS USED

SUN full to part sun
WATER moderate to low
SOIL not picky, but well-drained
HARDINESS hardy to 0°F
BASIN middle zone
CONTAINER not recommended
NUTRITION low to moderate
MAINTENANCE very little

ECOLOGY
Larval food plant for the Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis), and the Silver-banded Hairstreak (Chlorostrymon simaethis). Some birds eat the fruit though they contain poisonous saponins. Great habitat plant for birds, especially when they form thickets. Flowers used by native bees and other insects.

ETHNOBOTANY
The saponin-rich fruits have been employed as a soap by humans. Used to make beads, the sap was applied to wounds, and the wood was used for arrows.

NATURAL DISTRIBUTION
Found in riparian areas, canyons in both desert-grassland and oak-grasslands from 2,500-5,500’ from Arizona across to Louisiana in the south ranging north to Kansas and far southwestern Missouri in the north. It is also native to the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila in Mexico.

TAXONOMY AND NAME
This species was once considered a subordinate taxon to Sapindus saponaria but has been restored to its own species.
This species is in the Sapindaceae, soapberry family. There are 14 species in the genus Sapindus native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world..
Sapindus is thought to derived from sapo, meaning "soap" and indicus, meaning "indian", referring to its use as a soap. The species, drummondii, is named for Thomas Drummond (ca. 1790-1835), a Scottish botanist.