Såpnejlika Soapwort Flowers Bloom In Varmdo Sweden
One of the many delights of our travels in Sweden were all the lovely flowers in bloom and especially many that were new to me. Suddenly all the Swedish flower prints and wallpaper that i love made sense! So of course I have many many photographs of all the lovely flowers in bloom that I hope to use as inspiration for my own floral prints, and to inspire you as well, either to grow some or to paint some!
For starters, on our first stop in Sweden in Ramsdalen, in the Archipelagos of Stockholm, there was a large patch of lovely pinkish white flowers on long stalks that made quite a lovely impression in front of our rental cottage, and seemed to be quite hardy. I was very curious to know what these flowers were, so when my own little search failed I emailed the kind owner and they also had to do their own search, which was fortunately successful! These flowers are Sapnejlika, Soapwort, a name that comes from the traditional use of the leaves of the plant as a gentle nature soap! Sure wish I had know that while we were there, I would have tried it! Soapwort might be a great choice for your garden, but do read more about this species before actually committing to it, as it is unfortunately an invasive plant, which on the other hand is why it is doing so well in this spot!
Soapwort is an attractive plant with a long blooming period though unfortunately, it has also become an invasive plant in some natural areas. If that isn’t a problem for you, so go ahead and grow some, or do it in a raised bed to avoid any future problems.
A natural soap can be made by boiling the dried and crushed rhizome (or leaves) for half an hour in water. The saponins present in the plant lower the surface tension of the water resulting in a foamy, soapy solution which can be used for cleaning. This solution is gentle and effective cleaner that was often used by museums to clean fragile and delicate fabrics that could not withstand the strong chemical soaps! Amazing right?
Lovely pink blooms for months are one great attribute of Soapwort.
Ah yes and one more interesting thing I learned about Soapwort, Saponaria officinalis finds culinary use as an emulsifier in the commercial preparation of tachina and in brewing to create beer with a good head!. In the Middle East, the root is often used as an additive in the process of making halva, whadda ya know! The plant is used to stabilize the oils in the mixture and to create the distinctive texture of halvah. So I had to go all the way to Sweden to learn about a plant that is actually used in some important middle eastern foods! Now, I just need to get my hands on some soap wort seeds and think about giving it a try in my container garden, that and purple cone flower!
Cultivation Notes: The preference is full or partial sun and moist to slightly dry conditions. It is not fussy about soil characteristics, and can be found in soil that is loamy, gravelly, or sandy. This plant is easy to grow and has few problems with insects and disease. It is also spreads aggressively, forming dense colonies that exclude other species of plants.
