View source for Saponaria

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Caryophyllaceae
|genus=Saponaria
|common_name=Soapwort
|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|habit=herbaceous
|lifespan=perennial
|features=flowers, edible
|flowers=pink, white
|Temp Metric=°F
|jumpin=If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!
|image=Fiorellini.jpg
|image_width=240
}}
'''''Saponaria''''', also known as '''soapworts''', is a genus of about 20 species of [[Perennial plant|perennial]] [[herb]]s in the [[Caryophyllaceae]], native to southern [[Europe]] and southwest [[Asia]]. The most familiar species in Europe is the [[Common Soapwort]] (''S. officinalis''), locally simply known as "the Soapwort". They grow to a height of 10-60 cm, with opposite [[leaf|leaves]] 1-6 cm long. The [[flower]]s are produced in tight clusters on the stem, 4-25 mm diameter, with five white, yellow, pink, or pale purple petals.

The genus is closely related to ''[[Lychnis]]'' and ''[[Silene]]'', being distinguished from these by having only two (not three or five) styles in the flower.  The is used to make a soap, and also used in the food industry, especially in the making of [[halva]].

{{Inc|
Saponaria (Latin, soap, the mucilaginous juice forming a lather with water). Caryophyllaceae. Soap-Wort. Hardy often coarse annual or perennial erect or decumbent herbs, used for borders and rockeries.

Habit either annual and resembling that of gypsophila or perennial and similar to that of silene: lvs. flat: fls. in dichotomous cymes; calyx ovoid or oblong-tubular, 5-toothed, nerves obscure; petals 5, narrow-clawed, blade entire or emarginate, the base with scales or naked; stamens 10; ovary 1-celled: caps. ovoid or oblong, very rarely subglobose.—About 40 species, Eu., principally the Medit. region and extra-Trop. Asia. Saponarias are readily established in any soil and require but little care. S. ocymoides is an attractive plant for the rockery or for edging. Prop. by seed or division.

S. japonica, Hort. John Saul, is botanically unknown.—S. pulvinaris, Boiss. (S. libanotica, Hort., S. Pumilio, Boiss.). Densely cespitose-pulvinate: sts. low, 3-7-fld.: lvs. small, linear, subcarinate: infl. hirsute-villous; fls. bright rose.—S. Sundermannii, Hort., closely resembles S. bellidifolia, but has rather larger fls. and more of them. June.—S. Weinmannii, Hort., is closely allied to S. caespitosa, possibly only a form of it, but has paler purple fls. and a shorter calyx. Its habit is very compact and it is only 2-3 in. high.
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==Cultivation==
Soapworts are cultivated for their attractive flowers; they grow freely in any soil and under most conditions.

===Propagation===


===Pests and diseases===


==Species==
About 20 species, including:<br/>
''[[Saponaria bellidifolia]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria caespitosa]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria calabrica]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria lutea]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria ocymoides]]'': Rock Soapwort<br/>
''[[Saponaria officinalis]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria pumila]]''<br/>
''[[Saponaria sicula]]''

*''[[Saponaria x olivana]]''

==Gallery==

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==References==
<references/>
*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->

==External links==
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