Other conspecific taxa:

• Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii (0 accessions)

Synonyms:

• (=) Sapindus divaricatus Cambess.
• (=) Sapindus indicus Poir.

Common names:

• soapberry  (Source: Hortus 3) - English
• soaptree  (Source: F PuertoR) - English
• southern soapberry  (Source: Trees US) - English
• wing-leaf soapberry  (Source: Trees US) - English
• bois de panama  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• savonnier  (Source: Dict Rehm) - French
• Seifenbaum  (Source: Dict Rehm) - German
• saboeira  (Source: Dict Rehm) - Portuguese
• fruta-de-sabão  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• jequiriguaçú  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• pau-de-sabão  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• sabão-de-macaco  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• sabão-de-soldado  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• sabonete  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• saboneteira  (Source: pers. comm.) - Portuguese (Brazil)
• jaboncillo  (Source: Dict Gard) - Spanish
• såpbärsträd  (Source: Kulturvaxtdatabas) - Swedish

Economic Importance:

• Environmental: ornamental (fide Zander ed13)
• Materials: beads (fide Bot Beads World; as http://www.botanicalbeads.com/BBB_page_28.html,)
• Materials: chemicals (saponins used as emulsifier & cleanser fide Hortus 3)
• Medicines: folklore (fide Herbs Commerce ed2)
• Vertebrate poisons: mammals (fide Lampe & McCann, as Sapindus drummondii)

Distributional Range:

Native

Northern America

• SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida, Georgia (s.e.)]
• Mexico

Southern America

• CARIBBEAN: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines
• CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama
• NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Suriname, Venezuela
• BRAZIL: Brazil
• WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Peru
• SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina (n.), Paraguay


Cultivated (also cult.)

Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

References:

1. Adams, C. Flowering plants of Jamaica. 1972 (F Jam)
2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
3. Encke, F. et al. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. 1984 (Zander ed13)
4. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. (pers. comm.)
5. Huxley, A., ed. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. 1992 (Dict Gard)
6. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium Hortus third. 1976 (Hortus 3)
7. Liogier, H. A. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. 1984- (F PuertoR)
8. Little, E. L., Jr. Checklist of United States trees, Agric. Handb. 541. 1979 (Trees US)
9. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker Herbs of commerce, ed. 2. 2000 (Herbs Commerce ed2)
10. Rehm, S. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. 1994 (Dict Rehm)
11. Smith, R. J. Botanical beads of the world (on-line resource). (Bot Beads World)
12. Spichiger, R., ed. Flora del Paraguay. 1985- (F Parag)
13. Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. Flora of Panama. 1943-1980 (F Panama)

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN-Taxonomy).
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: http://germoplasma.iniaf.gob.bo/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?id=33090. Accessed 7 junio 2026.