Bouncing Bett

Saponaria officinalis "Bouncing Bett"

Please keep in mind that it is illegal to uproot a plant without the landowner's consent and care should be taken at all times not to damage wild plants. Wild plants should never be picked for pleasure and some plants are protected by law.
For more information please download the BSBI Code of Conduct PDF document.

Plant Data

Flowering Months:

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Order:

Caryophyllales

Family:

Caryophyllaceae (Pink)

Also in this family:

Annual Pearlwort, Bladder Campion, Bog Stitchwort, Clove Pink, Common Chickweed, Common Corn-cockle, Common Mouse-ear, Common Soapwort, Corn Spurrey, Greater Chickweed, Greater Stitchwort, Knotted Pearlwort, Lesser Sea-spurrey, Lesser Stitchwort, Procumbent Pearlwort, Ragged Robin, Red Campion, Rock Sea-spurrey, Sea Campion, Sea Sandwort, Snow-in-summer, Spring Sandwort, Sticky Mouse-ear, Three-nerved Sandwort, Thyme-leaved Sandwort, White Campion

Type:

Flower

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Maximum Size:

90 centimetres tall

Habitats:

Farmland, gardens, hedgerows, meadows, roadsides, wasteland, waterside, woodland.

Flower:

Pink, many petals

Soft pink flowers with double flowers. Bouncing Bett is the double-flowered variety of Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis). Pollinated by butterflies and moths. 10 stamens. 2 styles.

Fruit:

A 4-parted capsule. The seeds ripen in August and September.

Leaves:

Leafy branches with opposite, entire leaves. The leaves are sometimes tinged red. A perennial which grows in patches.

Aroma:

Sweetly fragrant.

Other Names:

Boston Pink, Bouncing-bet, Bruisewort, Chimney Pink, Crow Soap, Devil in a Bush, Farewell to Summer, Flop Top, Fuller's Herb, Jill-run-by-the-street, Lady-by-the-gate, London Pride, Mock Gilliflower, Old Maid's Pink, Old Maid's Slipper, Sheepweed, Soap Plant, Soap Root, Soapweed, Soapwort, Soapwort Gentian, Sweet Betty, Wild Sweet William, Wood Phlox, World's Wonder.

Frequency (UK):

Occasionally seen

Similar Species:

Common Soapwort

Distribution Map

Reproduced by kind permission of the BSBI.

Click to open an Interactive Map