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
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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
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stems are stout, with ridges, gray, with short hairs
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bark is shallowly furrowed, becoming platey with age, and under-bark is
orange-brown
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grows 25-50’ tall, and about equally wide
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flowers are yellow-white, in large panicles in May and June; showy
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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”
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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
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native to extreme southwest Missouri