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Soap Plant
Chlorogalum pomeridianum
  
About Soap Plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) 45 Nurseries Carry This Plant Soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum) is a member of the Agavaceae (Agave) family, but more closely resembles a Lily.

Soap plant has delicate, star-like flowers in clusters. They are typically white, with a noticeable purple or green mid-vein and yellow-to-orange stamens. Soap plant flowers are unique in that they open only in the late afternoon or evening, sometimes on cloudy days. The flowers remain open during the night but will close by the morning. Pollination is by evening and night flying insects.

As the plant's common name indicates, the leaves usually have edges that are wavy. The plant is drought-deciduous, and its foliage usually disappears by late summer. Once established, Soap Plant requires virtually no care.

Indigenouse Peoples use the crushed bulbs and water to produce a lather for cleaning clothing and baskets. Soap plant is found in most of California except the desert regions and just into southwest Oregon. Wavy-leafed Soap Plant grows on rock bluffs, grasslands, chaparral, and in open woodlands.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Www.wildflower.org. Retrieved October 20, 2023, from https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CHPO3 ‌
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Perennial herb

Size
Size
3 ft tall
1.5 ft wide

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Deciduous,

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Numerous small insects are attracted to the flowers, such as native bees and hover flies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 5.5 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Bee Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Use as a filler between small trees or chaparral shrubs, or in grasslands, meadows, or rock gardens, along with native grasses; other geophytes such as Mariposa Lily (Calochortus spp.) or Blue Dicks (Dichelostemma capitatum); or with succulents such as Dudleya spp. and various cactus species.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Seasonally dry bluffs, slopes, and flats as part of grassland, sage scrub, chaparral, or woodland habitats.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 10.7" - 96.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.70", Coldest Month: 30.9" - 55.7", Hottest Month: 53.9" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.45" - 26.62", Elevation: 7" - 7310"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Amole, California Soaproot, Soap Root, Wavy Leaved Soap Plant, Wavy-leafed Soap Plant


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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