FNPS Plant Database

Sapindus saponaria

wingleaf soapberry
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

wingleaf soapberry

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Sapindus saponaria

Family:

Sapindaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

20–30 ft in northern Florida, 30–40 ft in southern Florida

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white, green

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous in north Florida, evergreen in south Florida. Blooms in spring. Fruit ripens late summer-fall

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade tree or specimen tree. Leaves may be evergreen in south Florida. Can be used as a street tree.

Considerations:

Seeds are apparently poisonous.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

Calcareous (high pH)

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Birds, Mammals

Flowers attract bees.

Used by wildlife for cover, food.

Native Habitats:

Hammocks, coastal scrub, shell mounds, along streams and on limestone uplands

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The plant has been used as a cure for a variety of ailments including skin problems, migraine headaches, epilepsy, and tumors. The fruits contain a material called saponin that is a natural antimicrobial detergent. It produces a soapy lather when crushed and mixed with water. The saponins in the fruit were also used as an aid to catch fish, and its marble-like black seeds are used to make necklaces, rosaries, and other types of jewelry. Recent research (2011) appears to support the folk-medicine use as an antivenom (please, get to a doctor immediately if bitten by a venomous snake -- don't self-medicate!).

General Comments:

Range likely includes all of Florida. It is sporadic in northern Florida.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Center for Land Use Efficiency. (Undated). Soapberry [in] Gardening Solutions. ( https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/soapberry/ ). Accessed 2026. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Gann, G.D, C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Soapberry [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Sapisapo ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Plants for a Future. (Undated). Sapindus saponaria , Soapberry, Wild Chinaberry, Florida Soap Berry, Soap Nut, Soap Tree. ( https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Sapindus+saponaria ). Accessed 2026. Plants for a Future, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, UK.


Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. (2021). Meet the Natives: Soapberry. ( https://sccf.org/2021/07/01/meet-the-natives-soapberry/ ). Accessed 2026. Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sanibel, FL.


School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. (2025). Florida Soapberry. ( https://ffgs.ifas.ufl.edu/tree-tour/florida-soapberry/ ). Accessed 2026. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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