Wavy Soap Plant – Soap Plant – Amole

Chlorogalum pomeridianum (DC.) Kunth. is a plant that is a part of the Lily Family. It has thick scales all over the outside of the bulb that has a fiber-like feel to them. A perennial grows from this bulb reaching about 6 feet with a smooth surface. The stem has no leaves and a white like film over it. The leaves, that are on it, grow from the base and are very long, the margins have waves, and are broad in a rosette of basal style. When it flowers in the months between March and August, it only has one small flower that opens from the stem. The flower has either a green or purple vein and twists about some roundish fruit.

Wavy Soap Plant

The Wavy Soap Plant can be found on hills that are dry and open, water banks, grasslands, and valleys in coastal ranges and northern Sierra of California to southwestern Oregon.

Used as a poison for fish, fiber, and food by tribes to the west. The juice can be rubbed on the skin to help heal poison oak. Bulbs that are roasted can be made into a poultice that has antiseptic properties that helps heal sores. Tea made from the bulbs can be used as a laxative for aches in the stomach from gas. The stalk can also be used as a dandruff shampoo.

Soap Plant

WARNING: Saponins are located in the bulbs and can irritate the mucous membranes and if not well cooked are considered to be poisonous. It may also have a flare up in dermatitis.