Sapindus saponaria L.

Soapberry
Wingleaf Soapberry
Tropical Soapberry

Florida native

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An occasional tree of hammocks and shell middens in scattered locations in much of Florida. The range extends throughout the southernmost states from South Carolina into Arizona and northward into Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.
Soapberry grows up to 15m (40 ft.) tall with alternate, pinnately compound leaves up to 32cm (12-1/2 in.) long. The rachis may be winged or not, and the 6 to 13 leaflets may be alternate or opposite and either odd or even in number. The white to creamy-yellow flowers appear at the tips of branches from early summer into fall. Fruit is a round, leathery drupe 1-2cm (3/8 to 3/4 in.) in diameter.
Charles Torrey Simpson was quoted as saying "the berries make a good substitute for soap."
At one point Sapindus saponaria was considered as only occurring in the southern peninsula and was also sometimes called tropical soapberry. In central and north Florida the trees were called Florida soapberry and classified as S. marginatus. Most botanists now consider them all S. saponaria.

Sapindus saponaria is a member of the Sapindaceae - Soapberry family.

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species

iNaturalist profile for this species

USDA Plant Profile for this species

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Date record last modified: Jun 16, 2023