Bouncing Bet
Saponaria officinalis

Other Common Names:  Soapwort, sweet Betty, old-maids pin, lady-by-the gate
Bloom Period:  Late Spring
Bloom Color: Pink or white

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Growth Form: Rhizomatous

A non-native flower to North America, the Bouncing Bet prefers disturbed ground.  Roadsides, railroads, and gravel bars alongside streams are common places you can find this natural cleanser. Europeans once used the leaves to produce a lather for cleaning and whitening fabrics. Bouncing Bet has also been use to treat asthma, jaundice, gout, syphilis, rheumatism, coughs, and bronchitis.