Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
79
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
365.76 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
182.88 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light Yellow, Ivory
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Used for woodware
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BERZELIA lanuginosa
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Buttonbush
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
Buttonbush shrub
Sausage Tree
In German
Button Strauch
Sausage Tree
In French
buttonbush arbuste
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
arbusto buttonbush
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
Buttonbush θάμνος
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
arbusto Buttonbush
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
Buttonbush krzew
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
Frutex Buttonbush
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Rubiales
Lamiales
Family
Bruniaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Cephalanthus
Kaempferia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Tecomeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
129
1
27800
👆🏻