JcKE 14, 1913. 
THE GARDENERS’ MAGAZINE. 
I SAPONARIAS OR SOAPWORTS. 
The Soap wort family comprises several 
verv useful, as well a.s beautiful, rock 
and border plants. During the months of 
May and June the numerous flowers pro- 
du<id by the various varieties of S. 
ocymoddes form l<)vely sheets of colour, 
quite o'bsouriiig the foliage with a wealth 
of bloom. About a dozen species are 
natives of Europe, while others extend 
into Asia Minor and Syria as well. Many 
of them are in cultivation, and grow n in 
suitable situations they make very at- 
themselves to advantage. Species like S. 
wymoides make ideal wall plants, provid¬ 
ing the roots can ipenetrate into’ the soil 
behind the w’all. A few* of the best in cul¬ 
tivation are: 
S. bellidifolia, a native of Central and 
Southern Euiope, and always found in dry 
stony place;:;. It forms tufts ef leaves in 
rosett^, and produces flow’ering stems 
six inches cr more in length. The pale yel¬ 
lowish flowers are Iborne in dense heads. A 
form of this sent out under the name of S. 
S. Meinmanni, with paler-coloured flowers. 
It is of a hardier nature than S. caespitosa 
with narrower foliage, and is far more 
free-flowering. Some plants on a stony 
slope, facing south-east, have stood here 
for many years, and alwrays flower very 
freely, commencing early in May and cast¬ 
ing w^ell’into June. 
S. lutea is one of the dwarfer kinds, 
only two inches or so high, with tufts of 
nariow’ leaves, and heads of yellow’ flowers. 
It is found over most of the western Alps, 
always in very poor, stony soil. It is less 
effective than the others, and very liable 
to damp off in w’inter. It is more adapted 
for grow’ing in pans for the alpine house, 
and kept during w inter in the shelter of a 
cold frame. 
S. ocymoides, the well-known Rook 
Soapw’ort, is oif trailing habit with nume¬ 
rous branching stems, and masses of rosy- 
SAPONARIA OCYMOIDES AT , MULLABODEN. 
A beautiful alpine plant producing an abundance of rosy-pink flowers. 
Kur *’/““**• 
Gained planW in deep, 
<5ess ^ grown wit 
®eeds^v^^ different species pi 
and S ’ \v^*^ h^rids like S. B< 
RatPrJ k " ^^^Dianni require to be 
*‘oot of cuttings in July. 
«lose fSe p“1f 
species Perhaps the best- 
*'Wch is ucB^ P®P»5ar Ibiennial S. cals 
spring dispkv^" Th^ fo, 
autumn sown m the 
^hich little I 
Most otAhA i" 
plants anH are essential!' 
^ grown in th.s way, d 
Sundermanni, in 1902, has larger pale yel¬ 
low flowers, and rather larger leaves. 
S. Boissieri is a garden hybrid between 
S. csespitosa and S. ocymoides. In habit 
it is nearer to the latter parent, but is 
more compact in growth and very fr^ 
branching- At the present time, early in 
June, it is a mass of rosy pink, the flowers 
being borne in rather loose clusters. It is 
a beautiful plant for an open sunny posi¬ 
tion, planted so that the branching stems 
can hang down over the face of a stone. 
S. csespitosa comes from the Pyrenees, 
and is of close tufted habit, bearing um-bels 
of rose-coloured flowers. It is not an e^sy 
plant to move when of any size, as it takes 
some time to get over the shift. Young 
plants, however, take hold readily when 
placed in thoroughly well-draine<l soil of 
a stony nature. A form, or hybrid, of this 
species has been sent out under the name of 
pink flowers. It is one of the most, useful 
plants for the i-ock garden, w here it can bo 
displayed to advantage, forming a curtain 
of colour depending from a rocky ledge. 
In cultivation there are several colour 
forms of this plant, w^hile it varies very 
much in habit. The variety alba is a pure 
white form of great beauty. It does best 
in a half-shady position. The variety flori- 
bunda, as its name implies, is very free- 
flowering, while the form called splendens 
has beautiful, bright, rosy-crimson flowers. 
The variegated form is also an attractive 
plant. 
S. officinalis, the Common Soapwort, is 
a useful border and wild garden plant of 
free habit. It is such a rampant grower 
that care must ‘be taken not to introduce 
it where it may become a nuisance. Its 
sweetly-scented pale-rose-coloured flow’ers 
are produced in heads on stems about tw o 
