Scientific Family
Sapindaceae
Other common names
tropical soapberry
wingleaf soapberry
soapberry
wild China tree
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
Yes
Plant Description
Origin
Native
A large shrub or tree to 50 feet with furrowed grayish-brown bark, often growing in thickets. Leaves are pinnate with numerous leaflets and turn golden yellow in fall.
Shrub, small tree; furrowed grayish-brown bark. Leaves alternate, often even-pinnately compound, 9 to 17 leaflets. Flowers in large, branched terminal clusters. Sepals 5, hairy on margins, petals 5 with 2 narrow bracts. Fruit yellow, orange, berry-like.
Height
50 feet
Width
30 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Found in canyons and along riparian areas within desert grasslands and oak woodlands.
Plant Community
Riparian
Low elevation
2500
High elevation
5000
Leaves
Leaf color
Green to yellowish-green
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaf hairs
Bottom of leaves
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Deciduous
Pinnately compound leaves with 9 to 17 lance-shaped leaflets that have unequal halves. Leaflets are up to 4 inches long while the leaves are up to 12 inches long. Leaves are smooth above but hairy beneath; edges smooth.
Flowers
Flower color
Yellowish-white
Flower shape
Inconspicuous
Tubular
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
August
Flowers have 5 round-tipped petals to 1/4 inch wide in large branched 10 inch long terminal clusters. Sepals are often hairy on margins.
Flower clusters
Elongated
Fruit
Fruit color
Yellow to orange
Fruit type
Berry-like
Fruit is round and smooth, 1/2 inch in diameter with a yellow to orange translucent flesh; usually containing only 1 very hard seed inside.