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This is also called Indian soapberry, ritha (Hindi), cheekai (Tamil) and arishta or phenila (Sanskrit). The scientific name is sapindus mulorossi. It is a deciduous tree growing in the foothills of the Himalayas and is also found in the western coastal areas of India in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. It can handle poor soil and is typically planted around farmers’ houses. It is a reasonably fast growing tree. It is reasonably dense and provides good shade.

It can grow to a height of 60 feet and the circumference of the trunk can go upto 5 feet. The leaf spine is nearly 30-50 cms long and has 5-10 pairs of leaflets. Each leaf is oblong with a pointed tip and each leaf can be 7-15 cms long and 2-4 cms wide.

The tree produces small white flowers and this is normally between October to December..

The fruit grows in clusters of 2-3. Once the fruit ripens, the inner pulp merges with the outer skin and the exterior becomes hard and wrinkled. Inside each fruit there are 2-3 seeds

Propagation is done using seeds or saplings.

Uses

1. It contains saponin which makes it behave like a natural soap. It can be used for washing, cleansing the hair, cleaning ornaments and even for a bath.
2. Jewellery can be soaked in this water for a little while and then cleaned gently with a brush.
3. Similarly, clothes can be soaked in a bit of this water and then washed (just as we use 1 or 2 tsp of powder in a bucket of water for washing clothes, 1 cup of this water can be added to the bucket of water for soaking the clothes)
4. It can be used as a shampoo or body wash.
5. Seeds are powdered and used as medicine.
6. The timber is hard and it is very heavy. It is used for making carts and wooden furniture.
7. It is widely used in Indian traditional medicine

Propagation

1. Soak the seed with the dried fruit.
2. Remove the outer layer of the fruit (it normally takes about 8-10 hours of soaking to remove the fruit.
3. Use the soaked water and the fruit for washing (written in a separate section)
4. Scarify the seeds a bid before soaking. This is done by using sandpaper on it gently or using a knife to just nick the coat.
5. Soak the black seed which is inside the fruit. Let it swell up a bit. It takes a couple of days.
6. You can place this in the beginning in a plastic pot with loam soil. You can alternatively try it with red soil.
7. Place the seed around 1-2 cm deep and moisten the soil.
8. Germination can take 4-6 weeks
9. Remember it requires direct sunlight while growing.
10. You need to water daily in summer when the heat is very high and according to the climate adjust the watering.
11. Apply organic fertiliser every 3-4 months
12. When it has grown to 1-2 feet plant it into the land where it can grow into a big tree. This takes around 6-8 years to mature and produce fruits.
13. It can give upto 35 kilograms of fruits every year.
14. Fruits ripen and fall on their own sometime between December and March.
15. Collect these fruits, sun-dry and store.

How to use the fruit

1. Soak the dried fruit overnight.
2. Remove the seed from it.
3. Use the soaked soapnut water and grind the fruit in the mixer.
4. Put little water and grind. Remove the soapy water and keep aside.
5. Repeat this at least 5-6 times.
6. If you have soaked 4 fruits, you can use it for cleaning dishes, washing clothes and washing your hair.
7. The thick soapy water which you get on grinding is very powerful for cleaning. As you add more water and grind, it becomes diluted.

Can we grow it in a pot? Yes, for maybe a couple of years in a big pot. But ideally it should be grown directly on land in the place where it is proposed to be grown finally. This gives the seed to acclimatise and there is no transplant shock. It must be understood that this is a reasonably big tree and therefore, requires adequate space on all sides including in the soil.

Since it lives for around 70 years, planning is required accordingly. An amazing natural soap and a beautiful tree. Worth growing if you have the space.