A method of making enriched R-series or X-series saponin compositions wherein said X-series saponin is β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl unit attached to the C3 position of the aglycone portion of a saponin and said R-series saponin is β-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→3)]-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl unit attached to the C3 position of the aglycone portion of a saponin, comprising: (i) selecting Quillaja sp. plants based on chromatographic analysis of aqueous extracts of plant biomass for chemotype or total saponin content, wherein the chemotype can be: i) Chemotype X: containing predominantly X-series saponins, with less than 20% R-series saponins, ii) Chemotype X/Y: containing saponins belonging to X- and R-series, and; iii) Chemotype R: containing predominantly R-series saponins, with less than 20% X-series saponins, and wherein said plant biomass is selected from bark, trunk, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits or a combination thereof; and wherein the selection comprises sampling Quillaja plant biomass, conducting an aqueous extraction of the plant biomass, analyzing the aqueous extracts of the sampled plant biomass by reverse phase HPLC or UHPLC chromatography, and selecting trees of a defined chemotype, X or R, (ii) removing axillary buds from said Quillaja sp. plants and inducing shoots of said axillary buds; (iii) growing apical meristems of said induced shoots to provide clone plantlets; (iv) growing said clone plantlets under controlled conditions to provide young plants, that are plants grown in a nursery that are 0-3 years old, (v) transferring said young plants to an ultrahigh-density plantation comprising from about 20,000 plants per hectare to about 100,000 plants per hectare; (vi) providing irrigation and nutrients to said young plants to provide young trees having not more than about 20-25 years; (vii) harvesting aerial biomass from said young trees, wherein said aerial biomass is selected from parts of the plant that do not directly contact the ground, selected from branches, twigs, and sections of the stem not in contact with the ground; (viii) drying, grinding, and sieving said harvested biomass to provide biomass suitable for extracting; (ix) obtaining an extract of said suitable biomass to provide an enriched saponin composition relative to a saponin composition obtained from non-plantation biomass; and (x) repeating steps (vi)-(ix) about every year to about every 6 years. (i) selecting Quillaja sp. plants based on chromatographic analysis of aqueous extracts of plant biomass for chemotype or total saponin content, wherein the chemotype can be: i) Chemotype X: containing predominantly X-series saponins, with less than 20% R-series saponins, ii) Chemotype X/Y: containing saponins belonging to X- and R-series, and; iii) Chemotype R: containing predominantly R-series saponins, with less than 20% X-series saponins, and wherein said plant biomass is selected from bark, trunk, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits or a combination thereof; and wherein the selection comprises sampling Quillaja plant biomass, conducting an aqueous extraction of the plant biomass, analyzing the aqueous extracts of the sampled plant biomass by reverse phase HPLC or UHPLC chromatography, and selecting trees of a defined chemotype, X or R, i) Chemotype X: containing predominantly X-series saponins, with less than 20% R-series saponins, ii) Chemotype X/Y: containing saponins belonging to X- and R-series, and; iii) Chemotype R: containing predominantly R-series saponins, with less than 20% X-series saponins, and wherein said plant biomass is selected from bark, trunk, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits or a combination thereof; and wherein the selection comprises sampling Quillaja plant biomass, conducting an aqueous extraction of the plant biomass, analyzing the aqueous extracts of the sampled plant biomass by reverse phase HPLC or UHPLC chromatography, and selecting trees of a defined chemotype, X or R, (ii) removing axillary buds from said Quillaja sp. plants and inducing shoots of said axillary buds; (iii) growing apical meristems of said induced shoots to provide clone plantlets; (iv) growing said clone plantlets under controlled conditions to provide young plants, that are plants grown in a nursery that are 0-3 years old, (v) transferring said young plants to an ultrahigh-density plantation comprising from about 20,000 plants per hectare to about 100,000 plants per hectare; (vi) providing irrigation and nutrients to said young plants to provide young trees having not more than about 20-25 years; (vii) harvesting aerial biomass from said young trees, wherein said aerial biomass is selected from parts of the plant that do not directly contact the ground, selected from branches, twigs, and sections of the stem not in contact with the ground; (viii) drying, grinding, and sieving said harvested biomass to provide biomass suitable for extracting; (ix) obtaining an extract of said suitable biomass to provide an enriched saponin composition relative to a saponin composition obtained from non-plantation biomass; and (x) repeating steps (vi)-(ix) about every year to about every 6 years.