Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Herbs
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Europe, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia
Types
Kigelia africana
Basil, African blue basil
Number of Varieties
960
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-129-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
11-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Burgandy, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Purple, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Requires watering in the growing season, Water Deeply
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Don't prune in the fall, Prune regularly
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Red blotch
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
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
-
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Respiratory problems, Runny nose, Skin rash, Vomiting
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
Cough, Cramps, Digestive disorders, Insomnia, Skin Disorders, Vomiting
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Used As Food, Used as a spice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Basil
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
तुलसी
In German
Sausage Tree
Basilikum
In French
saucisse Arbre
basilic
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
albahaca
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
βασιλικός
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
manjericão
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
bazylia
In Latin
farciminis ligno
ocimum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Lamiales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Lamiaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Ocimum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Asterids
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
960
1
27800
👆🏻