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Soapberry Facts

Soapberry Facts
Soapberry is deciduous tree that belongs to the lychee family. It grows in tropical and subtropical parts of North America. Soapberry can be found on the edges of the forests, in the canyons, prairies, ravines, and along the creeks, streams and rivers. It grows on the sandy or loamy, well-drained soil, exposed to direct sunlight or in the partial shade. People cultivate soapberry mostly in decorative purposes. Newly introduced Mexican soapberry borer, which deposits eggs on this plant and produces significant damage on the tree, is the major threat for the survival of soapberry in the wild.
Interesting Soapberry Facts:
Soapberry is small tree that can reach 30 feet in height and 25 to 40 feet in width. Size of a tree depends on the growing conditions. When it grows in clumps and thickets, it rarely exceeds height of 20 feet.
Soapberry has grayish-brown scaly or slightly furrowed bark and yellow wood.
Soapberry produces green pinnate leaves. They are thick, leathery and composed of 6 to 20 narrow, lanceolate leaflets with smooth edges. Leaves are alternately arranged on the branches. They change their color into golden yellow during the autumn.
Soapberry produces miniature white flowers arranged in the form of large, multi-branched inflorescence (panicle) at the end of the branches.
Soapberry blooms from May to June. Flowers emit pleasant fragrance which attracts bees, beetles, moths and butterflies, responsible for the pollination of this plant.
Fruit of soapberry is transparent yellowish, berry-like drupe. Each drupe contains one black seed. Soapberry produced fruit arranged in dense, pyramid-shaped clusters.
Most herbivores avoid soapberries because of the high content of saponins (group of chemical compounds) that induce poisoning when consumed in large doses. Some birds such as robins, cedar waxwings and bluebirds are able to eat soapberries without any visible side effects.
Soapberries produce foam when they get in contact with water. Native Americans were familiar with the foaming properties of this plant and they used it as natural shampoo.
Soapberries are still used in the cosmetic industry for the manufacture of soaps and in the chemical industry for the manufacture of laundry detergents.
Young branches of soapberry were used for the manufacture of arrows and foreshafts.
Wood of soapberry can be used for the manufacture of boxes, frames and baskets.
Native Americans used poultices made of sap of soapberry tree to soothe the wounds. Latest medical studies showed that soapberry contains compounds that have anti-inflammatory (prevent inflammation) and anti-microbial (kill microbes) properties. That explains effectiveness of this plant in treatment of superficial wounds.
Soapberry can be also used in treatment of fever, rheumatism and kidney disorders.
Soapberries contain substances that have mild insecticidal properties. Thanks to that, soapberries can be used for the removal of head lice.
Soapberry is perennial plant that can survive around 30 years in the wild.


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