Soapwort officinalis is a perennial, 30-90 cm high, which is often used as ornamental plant. In the past, the roots of this plant were used instead of soap, which is why it has such strange names among the people as soap grass, cuckoo soap, dog soap, Tatar soap, soap root, bladderwort and others - white carnation, field carnation, air jasmine, bobwort , cokel, field violet, contracter, jointer, etc.
The plant has numerous long and thin creeping roots, reddish-brown in color, which reaches 35 cm in length. The stem is branched, the leaves are elliptical, short-petioled, oblong and acute, with three veins. The flowers are white or pink on short stalks, large, smell good, collected in paniculate inflorescences. The fruits are in the form of an oblong-ovoid capsule. Soapwort seeds are small and dark in color.
Soapwort blooms in summer, in June-August, the seeds ripen in August.
Soapwort is widespread in Ukraine, southern Russia, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and other countries. It grows along river banks, on forest edges, among thickets, and sometimes in wastelands.
WITH therapeutic purpose They use rhizomes with roots, known as "red soap root", as well as leaves. The root is harvested in spring or autumn, but better in autumn. It is dug up and cleared of soil, washed in cold water, crushed into small pieces 8-10 cm and dried on outdoors in the shadow. The shelf life of harvested roots is 3 years.
Soapwort officinalis is an excellent expectorant, as well as antimicrobial, diuretic, choleretic, wound healing, diaphoretic and antirheumatic. Soapwort also has antiviral activity.
Soapwort leaves contain such useful components as the glycoside saponarin, ascorbic acid, but the roots are especially valuable; they contain saponaroside, saporubrin and saporubric acid, mucus and pectins.
IN folk medicine use an infusion of soapwort roots and leaves for many diseases: cough, whooping cough, sore throat, runny nose, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pharyngitis, jaundice, liver and spleen diseases, cholecystitis, dropsy, gastrointestinal diseases, constipation, furunculosis, scabies, gout , rheumatism, various polyarthritis, psoriasis, lichen, eczema. A decoction of the roots is used to wash your hair to prevent hair loss.
Also in folk medicine, soapwort rhizomes are used for prostate adenoma. In a mixture with other herbs, it is used for prostatitis, frequent emissions and cervical cystitis.
IN traditional medicine they make preparations from soapwort, which are used to liquefy and expectorate sputum in diseases respiratory tract and lungs, as well as a laxative and diuretic.
Baths from a decoction of soapwort roots are taken for purulent wounds, scabies, rheumatism, persistent rashes, for the treatment of lichen, including scaly, eczema and boils.
For sore throats, gargling with a decoction of soapwort root helps a lot.
Infusion of soapwort rhizomes : Pour 1 teaspoon of chopped roots with 1 glass of boiling water, leave for 4 hours and strain. Drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day after meals, for furunculosis and other diseases.
For herpes, soapwort decoction and: 20 g of soapwort roots, pour 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 5-7 minutes over low heat. Use for compresses and washing of affected areas.
For rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis: 1 teaspoon of crushed root, pour 1 glass of water, boiling water, boil in a water bath for 15 minutes, then strain. Bring the volume of the decoction to the original volume, i.e. up to 1 cup, adding boiled water. Take 1 glass 4 times a day for 2 weeks, then a 10-day break. Repeat the course 1-2 more times.
For obesity, soapwort, decoction: 1 teaspoon of crushed soapwort root, pour 1 glass of water, boil for 15 minutes over low heat in a sealed container. Leave for 1 hour, then strain. Take 1 glass 3 times a day for 15 days, then take a break for 10 days. For good result repeat the course 2-3 times.
For sore throats, it is also effective to use this collection: we take the roots of soapwort and the leaves of clary sage in a ratio of 1:2, then pour 30 g of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water, boil for 5 minutes, then strain. Use the broth for rinsing.
Soapwort officinalis, contraindications . The plant is poisonous, so ingestion of large doses of soapwort can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In this case, taking soapwort should be stopped immediately.
Total reviews for this topic - 9 Pages - 1
write, who used soapwort for cough, bronchitis? How effective is this?
How to use the root for psoriasis? I really need the recipe!!
To treat psoriasis using soapwort roots, there is the following recipe: soapwort roots, finely chopped and soaked for 5-6 hours in cold water. Periodically (several times) collect and remove the formed foam, then dry the roots. Next, take 1 tsp. with a top of dry soapwort roots (this is 6 g), pour 200 ml of boiling water, cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat and leave for another 12 hours. Use the decoction as a lotion on the affected areas.
There are other recipes for psoriasis using soapwort, but this is a herb: take 3 tbsp. spoons dry and measured. herbs, pour 100 ml of 70% alcohol and leave for 2 weeks. And also apply lotions to the affected areas of the skin.
Or, you can also lubricate the pores. plots fresh juice celandine, slightly diluting the boil. water.
We have heard about many plants since childhood, we remember what they are called, but we have no exact idea about them. Or vice versa: we only know the flower by sight, but its name is unknown. An employee will help you get to know the nature around us better. Botanical Garden UNN, full member of the Russian Botanical Society Ilya Lvovich Mininzon.
As a child, I visited my grandmother in the village and really loved going to the bathhouse. It was a kind of ritual. IN hot water steamed raspberries and fragrant herbs. But the most interesting thing is that they washed their hair with a decoction of white flowers. Grandmother called them soap-makers; they grew up all over our village. After reading your magazine, I became interested: what are the correct names of these plants? Tatyana Krasovskaya, Moscow region.
In the old days, soap was not known in Rus'. They washed and washed with lye - an infusion of ash containing potassium carbonate. It has the property of saponifying fats, that is, converting them into a water-soluble state. And in addition, they used plants that also contained various substances that saponified fats. Most of these substances are saponins. In our flora, among similar plants, the most famous is soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L.), the Carnation family - Caryophyllaceae. The soaping substances extracted from its root were named after its Latin name (Saponaria). No wonder the people Russian name This plant is soap root. In short, these flowers are called soapworts, and sometimes - bath root.
Back in the 18th century, they noticed that the plant is beautifully flowering and based on it they created garden forms, including double and pink flowers. The natural shape of the flower is simple and often white.
Having been brought to Russia, cultural forms en masse went wild. At the same time, the plant is also known in natural habitats. True, as a result of mass savagery garden forms, including terry ones, it is now difficult to say whether soapwort is naturally growing in a given area, or wild from cultivation. To a large extent, this also applies to the Nizhny Novgorod region.
What is this plant? herbaceous perennial with a stem up to 80 cm tall emerging from a creeping rhizome. The stem is simple, or branched in the upper part, glabrous, or briefly pubescent. Leaves are opposite, lanceolate, entire, with main veins.
Flowers up to 5 cm in diameter, fragrant; have 5 petals, white or pink, their limb is notched. In double flowers, some of the stamens are turned into petals. The calyx is sphenoletal, with five teeth. The fruit is a capsule, opening at the apex with four teeth. Numerous flowers are collected in terminal multi-flowered corymbose-paniculate inflorescences. From a distance they resemble phloxes. The aroma is strong, intensifies in the evening and when it rains, reminiscent of the smell of scented soap.
Soap plants are very unpretentious, both to soil and to moisture conditions. But they work best on loams with good lighting and moderate watering.
Wild plants grow rapidly by underground rhizomes. Once in the meadows, they form a round white island that expands in diameter over the years.
The plant is rarely used in design, since the flowers are not resistant to precipitation and after rain they take on a sloppy appearance. However, in the background of a flower bed and for creating spots of color, the plant is quite suitable.
Application. For a long time, in Siberian villages, soap root was used instead of soap. It was soaked in water and the hair was washed with the resulting solution. Nowadays, “red soap root” (containing 13-15% saponins and even up to 35%) is obtained from Soapwort officinalis. Soap root is also used in Food Industry for the preparation of confectionery products, including oriental sweets - white Turkish delight and halva.
I.L. Mininzon,
full member of the Russian Botanical Society.
You can find this article in the magazine "Magic Garden" 2009 No. 4.
Description.
Soapwort grass is a flower, also otherwise called soapwort (soapwort officinalis) and all this is a herbaceous perennial medicinal plant 30-90 cm high. Soapwort belongs to the carnation family. The rhizome of the plant has long thin roots, knotty, red-brown, creeping. The stem of the plant is short-haired, round, straight, glabrous. The leaves of the soapwort are narrowed at the base into a short petiole, elliptical or elongated, opposite. The flowers of medicinal soapwort are collected in corymbose-paniculate inflorescences, bisexual, regular, pale pink or white. Fetus medicinal plant- box. Soap grass blooms in June - September. You can learn more about the plant from the article “Soapwort grass - flower, photo, description, use, contraindications.”
Spreading.
Soap grass is common in the south Far East, in the Caucasus, Western Siberia, in middle lane European part of Russia. Medicinal soap grass grows among bushes, along river valleys, in flood meadows, and along forest edges.
Preparation.
For medicinal purposes of traditional medicine in early spring or in the fall they store the rhizomes of the soapwort grass with roots. They are dug up, the above-ground parts are removed, rinsed in cold water and cut into pieces. Soapwort rhizomes with roots are dried in dryers at temperatures up to 50 C or in the open air, spread out in a thin layer.
Soapwort - photo.
Chemical composition.
Ascorbic acid, the glycoside saponarin, and the triterpene saponin saponaroside were found in the leaves of Soapwort officinalis. The roots and rhizomes of soap grass contain triterpene acid and saponins.
Pharmacological properties.
In folk medicine medicinal herb soapwort is in demand because its preparations have diuretic, expectorant, choleretic and diaphoretic effects.
Application.
An infusion of soapwort rhizomes is used in folk medicine for bronchial dry cough, respiratory diseases, jaundice and general intoxication of the body.
An infusion of leaves and roots is prescribed for furunculosis, skin rashes, metabolic disorders, gout, rheumatism, exudative diathesis, and joint pain.
A decoction of soapwort root is desirable for use in diseases of the gallbladder, liver, spleen and kidneys.
Externally, an infusion of rhizomes is used in folk medicine in the form of lotions in the treatment of scabies, baths, purulent wounds, eczema, skin rashes, dermatitis, and furunculosis.
Medicines in folk medicine.
Infusion of soapwort roots.
Brew 1 teaspoon of soapwort roots with 1 glass of boiling water, leave until cool. Then filter and squeeze. Drink 3-4 times a day, 1 tbsp. spoon.
Infusion of soapwort roots as a choleretic agent.
Pour 1 teaspoon of soapwort roots with 1 glass of boiled warm water. Continue to steep for 8 hours, then strain. Drink after meals 3-4 times a day, 1-2 tbsp. spoons.
A decoction of soapwort rhizomes for liver diseases and eczema.
Brew 20 g of raw material with half a liter of boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes over low heat, filter. Drink half a glass three times a day. A decoction of the rhizomes of soap grass can be used to gargle a sore throat.
Traditional medicine - medicinal herb soapwort: contraindications.
An overdose of soapwort preparations can lead to disorder gastrointestinal tract, stomach pain, vomiting.
There are many plants in nature that can form foam. This is due to the presence of saponins in their composition - amorphous substances that are highly soluble in water and have the ability to produce foam solutions.
It turns out that the saponin emulsion literally pulls dirt out of clothes and linen: part of the molecule dissolves in water, and part in fat, forming compounds with microparticles of dirt that are easily washed out. Solutions containing saponins are used for washing and bleaching especially delicate wool, silk and other fabrics that are damaged by ordinary soap.
Elderberry, field weed - cockle, tinder fungus, horse chestnut, common bracken, common soapwort...
What do they have in common? These plants can replace soap.
Saponins are widely distributed in nature, they are found in leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits various plants. These are mainly plants that belong to the Liliaceae and Amaryllis families. Plants from the Solanaceae, Rannikaceae, and Clove families are also rich in them. These are plants such as soapwort (Saponaria officinalis L), firecracker (common gum), adonis (lychnis), paniculate bream (gypsophila paniculata), which have saponins in all their parts.
There are especially many saponins in the roots. Young plants have significantly fewer of them than old ones, and from the moment of flowering their number increases significantly. Saponins, unlike soap, do not create an alkaline reaction, which is a big plus.
Among the foaming plants in our area, the first place is taken by soapwort, which is also called “soap grass”, “red soap root", "dog soap". The name of the plant is due to the fact that when soapwort roots are rubbed with water, a lush foam is formed, which long time does not settle.
Dried and crushed rhizomes lather especially well, so they are prepared for future use: dried, ground into powder, diluted with water and washed or washed. After such washing, things become nice smell and there are no moths in them. Soapwort contains 32% saponin.
The process can be accelerated by heating the water: boiling a small amount of roots for several minutes. In the resulting “essence” you can wash, bathe, and wash your hair - for your own benefit and without harming nature. When washing your body with soapwort, you should not inhale or taste the foam, as it may cause sneezing.
The hernia is naked, popular name"dog soap" Grows on sandy soils, rocky slopes, along the edges of fields, in wastelands, on cliffs of river banks. Distributed throughout Europe. When rubbed with water, the leaves of the hernia glabra produce soap foam, which perfectly washes and softens your hands; you can wash silk and woolen items in it.
Adonis, white dawn - a plant of the carnation family, which is also called “wild soap”, “Tatar soap”, “boyar or lordly arrogance” - Lychnis alba. Lychnis from Greek word lychnos – lamp, torch.
The white flowers smell pleasant, bloom at night and are visible far in the dark. Its roots have been used since ancient times to eliminate grease during washing and remove greasy stains from clothes, as well as for washing hands. It is best to use powder from the roots of this plant.
Smolevka
Tar cracker belongs to the clove family. The white flowers of this plant have a swollen calyx that makes a good sound when pressed. Has a sticky stem. All parts of the plant, including the roots, are used as soap.
Licorice is also a foam-producing plant. The powder obtained from its roots is capable of producing abundant foam when combined with water.
The tinder fungus that grows on the trunks of larches is also used as soap; it is called the “leaf sponge.” Only the inner fabric is used for washing.
In Rus' it has long been used instead of soap. Its underground parts contain a lot of potassium. The rhizomes lather well and are absolutely harmless.
Soap tree, native to Kentucky, but sometimes found in Ukraine. It is called the Kentucky coffee tree and was introduced to Soviet Union in the 60s of the twentieth century. How decorative tree for decorating cities. But it has not become widespread in landscaping and therefore today it is found in green spaces in the form of single specimens.
Bunduk is very similar to acacia (Gledicia) external form fruits and leaves, only the leaves of Bunduk are larger than those of acacia. This plant belongs to the legume family.
The green mass in the fruits is lathering at Bunduk's.
Nice smell! Pods hanging on a tree all year round- You need to wash your hands, tear mine too. Perfectly removes grease. You can use it to wash your face, wash your hair and wash your clothes. The fruit is shaped like a dumpling. The entire space inside the “dumpling” is filled with a pleasant shade of green thickened mass - like concentrated shampoo. This shampoo is soap. This plant, although a tree, is a legume. It is a relative coffee tree, and its fruits are used as a coffee substitute.
Horsetail in Rus' for a long time was used exclusively for economic purposes. A decoction of its roots was used to dye wool, and the herb was used to polish stones, polish metals, clean pewter dishes or ordinary smoked dishes. kitchen utensils, even wooden floors were washed white. And the secret of the cleaning properties of horsetail was the presence of silicic acid in its stems. It was thanks to this substance that horsetail turned out to be beneficial for health and found its way into the pages of herbalists.
When autumn comes, you can use it to wash your hands and feet. fruits horse chestnut ordinary, they also wash stains on clothes well.
And here mustard You can not only wash your hands, but also wash woolen items (and only woolen items). Mustard powder bred in warm water, soak things and wash them after half an hour. It is advisable and useful to drain the water after washing and washing onto the beds. Mustard perfectly washes away fat. After washing, there are no chemicals left on the dishes that can be eaten.
Berries red elderberry Any dirt is washed off.
You can find a weed in the field cockle, it can also be used instead of detergents.
Soap root is obtained from plants of different families: swing the paniculata
Soapwort is a popular ornamental plant in gardening. It is grown to decorate borders, flower beds and other rocky landscape forms. Varieties of this plant are unpretentious to growing conditions in open ground, but have some peculiarities in planting and care.
Description: varieties and varieties of crops
Soapwort or saponaria got its name from the roots from which soap is made. The plant belongs to the Clove family. In the wild, it grows on rocky mountain slopes.
In Russia, two types of soapwort, which are cultivated in open ground, have become widespread:
- basilicofolia;
- medicinal.
Medicinal species of saponaria refers to perennials. It has excellent decorative characteristics:
- height - 90 cm;
- leaves - 4–12 cm, lanceolate;
- stems are green or green-red;
- flowers - pure white or with a pinkish tint, of 5 petals collected in the shape of a star;
- flower cup - goblet-shaped;
Soapwort officinalis
- flower size - large: 2.5 cm in diameter;
- flowers are collected in paniculate corymbose inflorescences.
Attention! Blooms medicinal soapwort from July to September. Life cycle each flower - three days. The plant is very fragrant, especially with the onset of evening coolness.
Basilicofolia saponaria- evergreen herbaceous plant. During flowering it looks like a lush and compact pillow. Decorates any, even rocky landscape:
- height - 40 cm in nature, but on home plot form bushes up to 10–20 cm;
- stems are branched and creeping, with a slight reddish tint;
- leaves - lanceolate, medium-sized;
Basilifolia soapwort
- flowers consist of 5 petals, weakly fragrant;
- color - red or pink, sometimes pale shades;
Attention! At proper care This type of saponaria grows quickly. Flowering occurs in 2 stages: in May-June and late August. During these periods, the tops of the plant’s branches are abundantly covered with inflorescences, which look beautiful in person and in photos.
Planting a plant at home
Growing any type of saponaria is possible only in an open, sunny area. As a last resort - in partial shade. The soil should be slightly alkaline or neutral. Not necessarily fertile, but loose and light. Otherwise, the accumulation of moisture at the roots will cause them to rot.
Planting methods:
Saponaria care
During cultivation, this plant does not require watering. It doesn't like excess water. Culture needs moderate watering, with an increase in the dose of moisture during drought. Saponaria care is a combination of loosening the soil and weed control. Removing faded inflorescences stimulates the plant to bloom again, albeit less luxuriantly. In autumn the plant is pruned: medicinal type- 1/3, basilica - up to a height of 5 cm.
Advice. The soil around the plant is sometimes covered with a thin layer of gravel, crushed stone or expanded clay. This helps in the fight against weed grass and emphasizes the beauty of flowering. In cold weather, the plant does not need watering.
Fertilizer and feeding of soapwort
When caring for saponaria, it is not necessary to apply fertilizers. The main thing is to monitor the density of the soil. If your site has heavy clay soil, add compost mixed with sand to the soil in the spring.
Some gardeners feed the plant 1-2 times a year mineral fertilizers. Soapwort responds positively to fertilizing with phosphorus before the start of the growing season, after the snow melts.
Advice. Before planting the plant, fertilizing the soil with calcium will be effective.
Plant transplantation and propagation
In one place, with proper care, saponaria grows for no more than 8 years. Then it needs to be transplanted. In October-November, carefully remove the plant from the ridge and plant it in a new place. Reproduction occurs by seeds, cuttings and division of an adult bush.
Soapwort can grow in one place for many years
Some gardeners consider division to be a mandatory growing procedure. It should be performed annually in the spring. After all, the plant can grow greatly over the course of a season. To divide the bush, carefully cut it with a shovel in a vertical plane.
It is not difficult to obtain seeds for propagating the crop. They appear in ovoid capsules after flowering. Dry them after harvesting, and in the spring plant them under seedlings or directly on fresh air. The seeds can sprout on their own by falling to the ground next to the flower.
Advice. To get a cutting, cut off the top of the branch and remove the lower leaves.
Diseases and pests of saponaria
Decorative culture is resistant to many negative factors. For example, it almost never freezes in open ground without shelter. The critical temperature for it is -21°C. But in snowless winters it is better to insulate the plant.
Among the pests, the flower may be favored by the garden cutworm. Her caterpillar is gray, with a red or yellow tint. A medium-sized butterfly with dark brown forewings is active in the first half of summer. Most effective method plant care in this case - manual collection pests.
Attention! Spots may appear on saponaria leaves. Spray the plant with Fundazol or 1% Bordeaux mixture.
Saponaria: combination with other plants in the garden
Soapwort is widely used in group decorative plantings. Looks good in composition with salvia, sage, edelweiss. Harmonious with sunflower, jasmine, saxifrage. The combination with saponaria shades taller flowers and covers the soil at their base.
Soapwort in landscape design