[6] The common name of the plant in British Columbia is "soopolallie", a word derived from the historic Chinook Jargon trading language spoken in the North American Pacific Northwest in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

[7][ISBN missing] The species is widespread in all of Canada, except in Prince Edward Island, and in the western and northern United States, including Alaska[8] and Idaho.

[5] The fruit is edible[5] but the saponin chemicals it contains may cause gastrointestinal irritation if large quantities are consumed.

[citation needed] Unrelated plants in the genus Sapindus, also commonly denominated "soapberry", produce toxic saponins.

[10] Some Canadian First Nations peoples such as Nlaka'pamux (Thompson), St'at'imc (Lillooet), and Secwepemc (Shuswap) in the Province of British Columbia extensively collect the berries.