Single Record

Participant Info

Species
Saponaria officinalis
Family
Caryophyllaceae
CommonName
bouncing bet
Presence
YES
Status
exotic, escaped, noxious
EarliestDate
1986
LatestDate
2022
Ecosystem
foothill, montane, ruderal, urban
Geobotanical
SSanjuans, NCristos
Counties
Conejos, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
Passes
WildlifePreserves
Other Localities
Del Norte
Comments
Bouncing Bet is a cultivated exotic that does well in the Watershed, where escapes are probably wide spread, although there are only 4 recorded locations: Conejos Co, Fox Creek, by the rock wall of an abandoned building (1986); Saguache Co, just N of the Great Sand Dunes NP in a camp site (1993); Mineral Co, Cottonwood Cove by the road side (2001); Rio Grande Co, Del Norte street side (photorecords 2015-2016). The latest observation is from 17 km west of Manassa near La Jara Creek (Conejos Co, 2022; iNaturalist #137585491). Saponaria officinalis tolerates all kinds of habitats, as evidenced by its presence in all USA states. It is on Colorado's B list of "noxious weeds," although in the Watershed there is no evidence that it deserves the label. Escapes along roadside have been observed as far down the Rio Grande drainage as far as Santa Fe Co, New Mexico.