Bloomipedia
Western soapberry (Sapindus drummondii)
Photo: Jo Roberts via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Western soapberry

Sapindus drummondii

Native in the lower 48

Western soapberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

9states
2of our state lists
13,975U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Oklahoma, Texas

Quick look

Sapindus drummondii is a valid species of shrubs in the tribe Sapindeae. It has been recorded from Arizona to SE. Colorado and Louisiana and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

  • It belongs to the Sapindaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Texas and Oklahoma. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 20 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 12,129 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #44 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 857 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #33 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. iNaturalist

Western soapberry gift ideas

Handmade western soapberry gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Western soapberry art print

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (194 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeApril–June12,129
OklahomaNativefew records857

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
T5 See NatureServe for what T5 means. NatureServe
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
Oklahoma
No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), MO (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: fruits. Symptoms they list: “Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Western soapberry in 9 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Bandera, Bastrop, Bosque, Brazoria, Brewster, Brown, Burleson, Callahan, Cameron, Childress, Clay, Coleman, Collingsworth, Comal, Cottle, Crane, Culberson, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Edwards, Ellis, Fannin, Fort Bend, Garza, Gillespie, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Hall, Harris, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Howard, Hunt, Hutchinson, Irion, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Karnes, Kerr, King, Lamb, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Madison, Marion, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Motley, Newton, Oldham, Pecos, Presidio, Randall, Roberts, Robertson, Runnels, San Saba, Shackelford, Sutton, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Val Verde, Waller, Wheeler.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Delaware, Dewey, Garfield, Grady, Greer, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Love, Marshall, Mayes, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Osage, Pottawatomie, Stephens, Tulsa, Washita, Woods, Woodward.

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Sources