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Thread: Soap fern????

  1. #1

    Default 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?


  2. #2
    Senior Member Runs With Beer's Avatar
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    Dont know of the fern your co-worker is talking about, But agave leaves will soap up a bit.

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    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
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    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
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    Senior Member vthompson's Avatar
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    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.
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    Rabbits fear my name.....
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    Plantain and meadowsweet make good soaps...

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    Senior Member nell67's Avatar
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    THese plants are supposed to be good lathering plants,the bouncing bet previously mentioned as well as clemitis and yucca.
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  7. #7

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    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?

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    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by adalel View Post
    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.
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    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    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!
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  10. #10

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    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.
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