Plant Details
Sapindus Drummondii
Common name: Western Soapberry
An attractive small native tree with glossy compound leaves and excellent deep yellow-gold fall color. Flowers are showy, creamy-white on upright panicles up to 10" long. The translucent-yellow, grape-like fruit are poisonous. Fruit ripen in October and persist through much of the winter to give this tree many seasons of interest. Fish who eat the seed from fallen fruit are poisoned. Gray 'sculpted' bark gives great winter interest. Not commonly planted, but a great 'almost unknown' native!
Culture:
Rather slow to grow, best in full sun and well drained soils, very tolerant of high pH soils, so grows well in limestone areas where many other trees do not grow well.
Use:
Dried seed can be polished to make attractive beads. Native Americans made soap from the fruit which will lather when rubbed with water between your hands. Remember that the fruit and seed are poisonous!
Height:
25 to 30 feet
Spread:
20 to 30 feet
Color:
Green
Fall color: Gold
USDA Hardiness Zone:
5 - 9
Good Companion Plants
- Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)
- Chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
- Red oak (Quercus rubra)
- American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
- Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
Characteristics and Attributes
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Season of Interest:
Mid (May - June)
Late (July - frost)
Winter (Nov - Mar)
Soil Moisture:
Average
Wildlife Benefit:
Nesting
Food/Birds
Food/Small Animals
Nature Attracting:
Songbird
Special Features:
Good Berries
