Saponaria sp.
Soapwort, Soapwort
(c) Robert Flogaus-Faust, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caryophyllaceae · Type: Perennial · Not Native
Saponaria sp. (Soapwort) is a non-native California perennial in the Caryophyllaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Pelargonium: Saponaria has dense clusters of radially symmetric flowers; Pelargonium has umbrella-like clusters with bilaterally symmetric flowers.; vs Phlox: Saponaria has tubular flowers with petal appendages and opposite leaves; Phlox has flat-faced flowers without appendages.; vs Lantana: Saponaria has pink tubular flowers and opposite simple leaves; Lantana has tight heads of small flowers with wrinkled, toothed leaves.; vs Gypsophila: Saponaria has large flowers (tube 9-25mm) in dense clusters; Gypsophila has tiny flowers (tube under 5mm) in airy masses.; vs Vaccaria: Saponaria is a spreading perennial with stalkless flowers; Vaccaria is an upright annual with flowers on long stalks.
Frequently asked questions
Is Saponaria sp. native to California?
No. Saponaria sp. is not native to California (recorded as not native).
What plant family does Saponaria sp. belong to?
Saponaria sp. is in the Caryophyllaceae family, genus Saponaria.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.