Soap fern????

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02-09-2009, 02:06 PM
adalel

Soap fern????

Several months ago a co-worker told me about a fern that she use to make lather from when she was a child living in east Tennessee. In all my plant books I have not found any mention about a fern that does this. I found some fern this past summer but it did not produce a lather. I have found the bouncing bet or soapwort growing in my yard. I am not that impressed with the amount of lather that it produces. Do any of you have experience with a fern that produces a soapy sudsy lather?
02-09-2009, 08:24 PM
Runs With Beer

Dont know of the fern your co-worker is talking about, But agave leaves will soap up a bit.
02-09-2009, 08:48 PM
nell67

Not sure about soap ferns,but in California,there is a "soap plant" known also as Amole,that the western Indians used :

http://www.perspective.com/nature/pl...oap-plant.html
02-09-2009, 10:57 PM
vthompson

I have 4 books on edible and medicinal plants. I will see if I can find it for you. If I do, I will let you know.
02-10-2009, 05:21 AM
Cleankill47

Plantain and meadowsweet make good soaps...
02-10-2009, 07:53 AM
nell67

3 Attachment(s)

THese plants are supposed to be good lathering plants,the bouncing bet previously mentioned as well as clemitis and yucca.
02-10-2009, 02:08 PM
adalel

Thanks for everyones response. We have yucca here in Tennessee but no agave or clemitis. I check the USDA.gov site to find out what grows here but could not find clemitis by the common or scientific names is there another name for this plant?
02-10-2009, 04:26 PM
crashdive123

Quote:

Originally Posted by adalel

Thanks for everyones response. We have yucca here in Tennessee but no agave or clemitis. I check the USDA.gov site to find out what grows here but could not find clemitis by the common or scientific names is there another name for this plant?

I believe it's spelled clematis. Try this site http://www.homeofclematis.net/ Grows wild as well as planted for ornamentals around here.
02-10-2009, 07:59 PM
Rick

Climatis? Well I'll be. I didn't know that. I have a ton of that in my yard. I'll have to do some experimenting this spring. Thanks, Nell!
03-06-2009, 01:05 PM
Alpine_Sapper

While investigating buckeye's as a fishing method (yes, I knows it be illegalz) I found this that may be relevant;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindus

Soapberry can refer to:

* Plants in the genus Sapindus, native to warm temperate to tropical regions in both the Old World and the New World. The berries of these plants contain a natural, low-sudsing detergent called saponin.
* Canada Buffaloberry (Shepherdia canadensis) is also known as "soapberry" and is native to North America. This shrub bears bitter yet edible red berries.