Which "soapberry" for temperate climates?

I'm interested in getting a perennial "soapberry" tree/bush to use as a replacement for other soaps but the scientific name seems to refer to a few different plants and I'm not 100% sure which would be the best to get in my climate. Shepherdia canadensis is commonly called soapberry around here, but it's edible, so I assume the saponin content isn't high enough to be useful? Sapindus drummondii (western soapberry) looks like it's hardy from zones 6-9 so that might be the one I'm looking for. Does anyone have experience with these plants and are there other options I'm overlooking?

Meg, I am growing wax myrtle, the southern ones have died here but they may work for you in that climate. The northern ones have smaller berries and don't look as nice but they are low maintenance.

buckeye nuts are loaded with saponins - it's what makes them poisonous. we've been experimenting a bit with drying and chipping them at our nut processing facility...might need more infrastructure than most folks have at some, though...

Western Soapberry is the one you're looking for.  Here it is a prolific, easy to grow small tree.  The trees produce copious fruit which is easy to collect.  I have it growing on my place.

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SASAD

Does anyone have a source of seeds/nuts for Western Soapberry, for planting?
This is something I've been really wanting to grow, but I have had trouble sourcing the actual seeds to get started.

Kc Simmons wrote:Does anyone have a source of seeds/nuts for Western Soapberry, for planting?
This is something I've been really wanting to grow, but I have had trouble sourcing the actual seeds to get started.

I have a big western soap berry tree on my property. Strangely enough, my goats find it to be the most desirable forage. Websites tell me it’s toxic to livestock but they literally prefer it over many other options. Strange.
Anyway, if you haven’t found any seeds since this post, I’d be happy to send you a few in an envelope.
Another benefit I’ve found is that during spring when it’s blooming, our honey bees are all over it. Along will many other pollinators. It’s a beautiful sight!
I have not collected the berries for soap but may one day.
I do plan to propagate the tree this year for more Soapberry!

we have 'em ... I've planted some already, and I will gather some extra seeds for you.   Also, buffalo gourd grows in my area ...supposedly you can make soap from the flesh around their seeds.  I haven't tried yet ... on the todo list

Tori,

When we lived down in NW Oklahoma we had soapberries on our place.  Deer really liked to bed down and hangout in the grove of soapberry trees.  

Bryan Elliott wrote:Tori,

When we lived down in NW Oklahoma we had soapberries on our place.  Deer really liked to bed down and hangout in the grove of soapberry trees.  

Bryan,
That’s makes sense. I am in SE Oklahoma. I think that goats eat a lot of things that deer do.

I don't know if Meg is still looking, but I wonder if it needs to be a berry?

There is a flower called Saponaria officinalis (aka soapweed, common soapwort, bouncing bet) which I have seen growing in Maine. As the name might suggest it can be used to make soap.