The soapwort is a real eye-catcher in the garden with its white to delicate pink colour. There are several varieties of the perennial plant. The top 5 are presented here in more detail.
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) belongs to the carnation family and is also known as real soapwort or waxwort. It is colloquially referred to as dog carnation or washing herb.
Soapwort grows just as well outdoors as it does in the garden at home. It is available in different colors, but mainly in white or pink.
Soapwort is still often used today as a remedy for colds and skin problems. It also has many advantages in natural cosmetics and when washing.
An overview of the different varieties
Soapwort is offered in different varieties. They differ mainly in their appearance, but also in their preferred location. Basically, the plant is about 5 to 70 centimeters high and flowers from July to September. Soapwort is a companion plant that likes to be kept in groups.
1. Soapwort (Saponaria lutea)
The Saponaria lutea is a very unusual soapwort because it impresses with its atypical yellow colour. In addition, this variety feels very comfortable in the rock garden. Soapwort is a hardy plant that blooms repeatedly for several years. Its flowering time is mainly from May to June. Although this strain only flowers for a very short time, it is a real eye-catcher in any garden. The soapwort is about 5 to 7 centimeters high and grows very flat. It loves sunny spots and the soil should be sandy and gritty so that water is well drained. A soil that is acidic and low in lime is recommended. This is the only way the soapwort can unfold its full splendor.
2. Pyrenean Soapwort (Saponaria caespitosa)The Pyrenean Soapwort grows very densely and has the typical pink colour. The plant is often planted in the rock garden and is also suitable for filling stone gaps. She also feels very comfortable in bed borders. The Pyrenean Soapwort is frost hardy and blooms overseveral years, with the flowering period only extending from May to June. The plant grows about 5 to 10 centimeters high and the flowers make a great cushion in the flower bed. The Pyrenean Soapwort should be planted in a sandy-gravelly soil and the location should be in full sun. The more sun the plant gets, the better it blooms. The plant prefers a fresh soil and daily water. Otherwise the Pyrenean soapwort does not have high maintenance requirements.
3. Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)
The real soapwort flowers in a light pink color and is often seen in natural and wild gardens. The special thing about this variety is that it flowers mainly in summer. The real soapwort has a beautiful bloom from June to August. It is often planted in flower beds and is used as insect pasture. Bees in particular like to settle on this plant. The real soapwort grows up to 80 centimeters high, is frost hardy and loves sunny places. When setting the real soapwort, make sure that a distance of 30 centimeters is maintained. About 9 plants per square meter can be planted in this way.
There are three other varieties of real soapwort called double soapwort:
- Saponaria officinalis Alba Plena
- Saponaria officinalis Plena
- Saponaria officinalis Rubra Plena
All three varieties prefer a sunny location and normal garden soil where there is no waterlogging. The filled soapwort is often planted as insect pasture. All three strains have the same preferences, but differ in appearance.
| Alba Plena | Plenary | Rubra Plena | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth | 50 - 70 cm | 50 - 70 cm | 40 - 50 cm |
| color | white | light pink | dark pink |
The cushion soapwort is often used as a ground cover. It only grows to about 20 centimeters tall and blooms a beautiful pink color in summer. The cushion soapwort is a frost hardy plant that integrates well into all garden crops. It is a group plant that likes to grow alongside other plants. When choosing other plants, the upholstery soapwort is not picky. It also feels very comfortable in mixed groups. This plant peaks in flowering from May to June, during which time it produces a large quantity of flowers. Like the othersVarieties, the upholstery soapwort also prefers a very sunny place. With this variety care should be taken to ensure that the soil has a neutral pH.
There are two other varieties of upholstery soapwort:
- Red Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides)
- White Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides Snow Tip)
The varieties do not differ in terms of care. Both varieties prefer sunny spots and well-drained soil. However, they differ in appearance and height. The flowering period is not the same either.
| red cushion soapwort | white soapwort | |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | 10 - 30 cm | 20 - 25 cm |
| Blooming time | May - July | June - July |
| color | fireplace pink | pure white |
| Growth | pillow forming | flat growing |
5. Summer Soapwort (Saponaria x lempergii Max Frei)
Summer Soapwort lives up to its name by only flowering in late summer. It is one of the smaller varieties of soapwort, as it only grows to a maximum height of 25 centimetres. Therefore, the summer soapwort is often planted as a ground cover. Planting in a trough or in a rock garden is also possible. This variety has light pink flowers and also prefers sunny places. The soil should be loose and well drained. This variety reaches its flowering peak from August to September. When caring for the summer soapwort, it is important to ensure that fresh soil is always available. Soapwort does not like waterlogging, but should be watered regularly.