Western Soapberry Tree

Facts about Western Soapberry Tree, "Scientific name for Western Soapberry Tree is Sapindus drummondii". Western Soapberry is a tiny to average-sized ornamental and shade tree that hails from to the United States. This deciduous tree variety is called by common names, such as Wingleaf soapberry, jaboncillo, western soapberry, and Hawaiian. It is the Sapindus type of tree, which is a Latin word that offers the meaning Indian soap, and its exact nickname denotes soapy. The growth rate of the Western Soapberry tree is medium and it grows well in both full sun and in a partial shade. Western Soapberry Tree performs well in a variety of soils, such as alkaline, acidic, drought tolerant, sandy, loamy, well drained, clay and extensive range soils. The Western Soapberry Tree attains a rounded, pot shape with its widespread branches when fully grown.

Features of Western Soapberry Tree

A fully grown Western Soapberry tree is capable of attaining a height, ranging from 25 feet to 30 feet (7.62 to 9.14 meters), with widespread branches that spread between 25 feet and 40 feet (7.62 to 12.19 meters).

The leaves of the Western Soapberry tree are alternate, pinnately compound, dense and fibrous, and they are deciduous. The leaves appear medium-green in color during summer and change to a gorgeous yellow color during the fall. The length of the leaves ranges from 8 inches to 15 inches (20.3 to 38.1 cm), and they are composed of 6 to 20 slender lanceolate leaflets with soft borders, elongated, tapered tips, and irregular wedge-shaped bottoms, with the length, ranging from 2 inches to 5 inches (5 to 12.7 cm) and the breadth between 3/4 inches to 1 1/2 inches.

The Western Soapberry tree produces flowers from May to June. These flowers appear white in color, with the length, ranging from 6 inches to 10 inches (15.2 to 25.4 cm) with good fragrance.

The fruit of the Western Soapberry tree comes in big pyramidal groups at the ends of its branches, and they look like a cherry. The length of these golden colored fruits ranges in diameter from 1 7/32 to 1 13/32 inches (3 to 3.5 cm), and they turn out to be transparent and wrinkled when they are fully grown. The fruit of the Western Soapberry tree includes a single black colored seed, with a diameter of 3/8 inches (.89 cm).

Uses of Western Soapberry tree

The fruits of the Western Soapberry tree offer lather when combined with water and Native Americans employ these fruits as a substitute for soap.

The average lifespan of the Western Soapberry tree is about 30 years.