Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Kigelia africana
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
93
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1210-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
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 Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
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
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Skin irritation
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Lignum Vitae
In German
Sausage Tree
Lignum Vitae
In French
saucisse Arbre
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Palo santo
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
pau-santo
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
farciminis ligno
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Sapindales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
93
1
27800
👆🏻