Practical
Plants

Chlorogalum pomeridianum

Soap Lily

a member of the Chlorogalum genus in the family Hyacinthaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Height
2 m
Spread
0.3 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bulb contains saponins. Although fairly toxic, these substances are very poorly absorbed by the body and most of them simply pass straight through. Saponins are found in a number of common foods, including many beans. They are destroyed by thorough cooking[K]. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Bulb - cooked[7][15][17][2]. A slow baking in its skin will remove any soapiness in the taste[16]. The bulb should be peeled before being eaten since the skin is fibrous[5]. The bulb can also be peeled and then boiled, though the water it is cooked in should be thrown away[17]. Although wholesome and nutritious when thoroughly cooked, the raw bulb should not be eaten because it contains saponins[K]. The bulb is very large and can be up to 15cm in diameter[8]. Young leaves - raw or cooked[2]. Used as a potherb when harvested in the spring, they are very sweet when slowly baked[16][5][11].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Soap lily bulbs contain saponins, a medicinally active ingredient that is of particular value as an antiseptic wash. Saponins are somewhat toxic (see the notes above on toxicity) and so any internal use of this plant should be carried out with great care[K]. The bulb is antiseptic, carminative, diuretic and laxative[17][11]. A decoction has been used to treat wind in the stomach[11]. Externally, the bulbs have been rubbed on rheumatic joints[11]. The pounded bulbs were mixed with water and used as a hair wash in the treatment of dandruff, to prevent lice and also to treat skin irritations including that caused by poison oak[10][11]. A poultice of the baked bulbs has been used as an antiseptic on skin sores[11].

Product or use
Antidandruff
Product or use
Antirheumatic
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Poultice
Product or use
Skin

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A glue can be made from the sap that is expressed from baking bulbs[16][17][11]. The bulbs can be boiled into a liquid starch which can then be used to twined baskets to close the interstices so that seeds do not fall through[11]. A soap is obtained from the bulb[9][13][14][4]. The bulb is stripped of its outer fibrous covering and rubbed on clothes or hands in water to produce a lather[16][18]. It is very good for delicate fabrics and has a gentle affect upon the skin[92, K]. The bulb can also be dried for later use, it can then be grated as required and used as soap flakes[16]. A fibre obtained from the outer covering of the bulb is used to make small brushes or as a filling for mattresses etc[16][17][4][11].

Product or use
Adhesive
Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Soap

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Dry open hills and plains, occasionally in woods, below 1500 metres[15].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring or summer 2mm deep in a peat/sand mix. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 6 months at 15°c, but it can be slow and erratic. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings do not need to be thinned and grow them on in the pot for their first year of growth, giving an occasional liquid feed o ensure that they do not become mineral deficient. When dormant, pot up 3 young bulbs per pot and grow them on for at least another 2 years before planting them out into their permanent positions in the spring[3]. Division of offsets when the bulb dies down in late summer. Larger offsets can be planted out direct into their permanent positions but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on for at least a year in the greenhouse.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any reasonably good well-drained soil[1][12]. Prefers a rich well-drained moisture retentive soil[3]. Tolerates partial shade[3]. Dislikes dry soils according to one report[8] but plants grow in dry soils in the wild[15]. Plants are frost hardy but they come into new growth in the autumn and so need to be grown in a warm sheltered position, especially in colder areas of the country[6]. The bulbs can be damaged by heavy frosts[4]. The roots are brittle so any transplanting should be done with care[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  6. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

  7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  9. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  10. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩

  11. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  12. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  13. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  14. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  15. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  17. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  18. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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