Saponaria officinalis

Does anyone grow this? Is it as invasive as they say? Does it spread by all means possible?

I'd like to grow a clump of this to extract the Saponins but wary of having another thug in the garden.

Anyone got experience good or otherwise?

Cheers
GG

 

Been trying to get rid of it for 18 years, so if it likes your soil, beware!

 

I have a clump and it is certainly persistent but is containable. It is quite pretty in an insipid kind of way and has a nice perfume.

However, the garden where I work has a bed of it which seems more thug-like. Maybe it depends on the strain you have?

Put it in a bucket if unsure. PLEASE don't pay for any! I can post you a bag of roots.

What do you want the saponins for?

In the Clan of the Cave Bear series (my oracle on all Neolithic matters) the heroine was always having a wash with the soap-root, usually after some shenanigans with the hero. Must have been the cleanest cave dweller ever. Anyone else a fan?

 

I had this in another garden ok by a path as it keeps it in check , but dont plant in the middle of a border , spreads quickly and pops up in the middle of other plants/shrubs very annoying !!

Spruce

 

You'm better off stripping the fat from under the skin of a roadkill Badger, making some lye from wood ashes & then boiling them up together, get far more soap like that

 

Ah, but that might not smell so nice.

 

Yes! Got the books in English and French. Typically, the English version runs to four books, the French one to six They do get a bit 'Hollywood' as they go on, don't they?

 

I think there's 6 in English as well. Some of them must be set not too far from you - the Vezere valley, I think, always wanted to visit. Have you been

 

Yes, about 40kms NE. Finally made it to Les Eyzies last Spring It's fascinating! Hoping to go again this year, so grab a cheap flight to Bergerac, we've got a spare room

 

Coo, ta! I'll bring my wolverine pelt.

 

I think the subsequent off-topic convo is more interesting than Saponaria

I think I'll do without, the last thing I need is another seeding thug around. Thanks for the offer though Madahhlia.

@Madahhlia - I got the Wartime Farm book for Xmas and it had a recipe and as I like to experiment with garden stuff in the house so was thinking of natural shampoo and the like, though there's not much bonce hair in this household If I can scrounge some foliage from a neighbour I'll add the post-shennanigans option to my saponin repertoire. Btw I used to have a friend who was a fan of those Auel books, aren't they the size of bricks?

Cheers
GG

 

They are, but if you want to know exactly how to roast a mammoth in a pit the knowledge is contained within. The author is a rubbish writer in literary terms, far too much Neolithic bad sex, but sure did a lot of research and knows how to write a good story.

 

Sorry for straying off-topic, GG! Apparently Ceanothus flowers are also useful for prehistoric bathing rituals

 

Well, lucky you said that, as I still have some in flower at the moment, thanks Sherlock!