Western Soapberry

Western Soapberry

Sapindus drummondii

Sapindaceae (The Soapberry Family)

No photos available at this time.

Location on or near Missouri State University campus: unknown

Sapindus drummondii: Western Soapberry

• leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 10-15" long with 8-18 oval-lanceolate leaflets; leaflets are shiny dark green above and pubescent underneath; margins entire; often has good yellow-gold fall color
• stems are stout, with ridges, gray, with short hairs
• bark is shallowly furrowed, becoming platey with age, and under-bark is orange-brown
• grows 25-50’ tall, and about equally wide
• flowers are yellow-white, in large panicles in May and June; showy
• fruit is a translucent yellow-green to yellow to orange drupe that ripens in October and remains on the tree; the fleshy tissue around the seed when mixed with water makes a foamy lather--hence the name “soapberry"
• prefers dry, fertile soils, but tolerant of infertile soils as well--good urban tree, except for slimy fruit litter; probably should be used more in areas where tree is surrounded by lawns
• native to extreme southwest Missouri