Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Kigelia africana
Ficus benjamina
Number of Varieties
9800
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Temperate Regions, tropical environments, Tropical regions
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, 13, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Thicket/Colonizing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm2,440.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm3,050.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Red, Green, Pink, Orange Red, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Elliptic
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Layering
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Water carefully
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
10-10-10, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, slow-release fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Red blotch, Soft scales
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Full Sun, Shade areas, Variety of soil types
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bonsai, Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
Reduce Bruises
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Antibacterial, Aphrodisiac, Dysentry
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Container
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Hedges, Houseplant, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
FICUS benjamina
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Weeping Fig, Benjamin's fig, Ficus tree
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
रो अंजीर
In German
Sausage Tree
Birkenfeige
In French
saucisse Arbre
figuier pleureur
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
higo llorón
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
κλάμα σύκο
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
chorando fig
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
płacz rys
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Plorans ficum
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Urticales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Moraceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Ficus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Tecomeae
Ficeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
9850
1
27800
👆🏻