Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Flowering Plants
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Southwestern United States, California
Types
Kigelia africana
-
Number of Varieties
940
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Dry areas, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm61.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Crimson
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Do Not over Water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply, Water when soil is dry
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Prune to stimulate growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Insects
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Burns, Snakebite, Stomach aliments
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
PENSTEMON eatonii
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Firecracker Penstemon
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Firecracker penstemon
In German
Sausage Tree
Kracher penstemon
In French
saucisse Arbre
Firecracker penstemon
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Penstemon del petardo
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
πυροτέχνημα penstemon
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
Penstemon do foguete
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
petarda penstemon
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Firecracker Persicaria
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Magnoliopsida
-
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Scrophulariaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Penstemon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
9250
1
27800
👆🏻