All flowers get their name from someplace. So is the case with the Bouncing Betty Soapwort. Meet Betty to know the influence she had on this fragrant tough little plant. What happened when Betty was bouncing around on the Prairie? Betty left an indelible footprint for pioneering women who would follow her same trail. Discoveries come from some of the most comical situations, such as the case with dear Betty and her Soapwort plant
Bouncing Betty Soapwart
One of the customs traveling the prairie was to leave behind something useful for the next wagon train to receive
There was a steady line of pioneers coming after you on the open plains.
They were dusty and dirty; getting their clothes clean was a pain
A lady named Betty left a practical, welcoming gift.
She was one of the early pioneers, and she wanted to lift
All the ladies that tried hard to find a way to clean their clothes
so she would take some cuttings from her Soapwort plant, So the story goes
Soapwort was used as a laundry powder in pioneer days
It actually creates a cleansing soap, so the ladies all say
Everywhere Betty camped, she left new soapwort plants
ready
Over time the plant became known as the “Bouncing Betty.”
Betty bounced her way across the prairie, and it earned her some fame
It’s also how bouncing Betty got her name