Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Perennial
Tree
Origin
Europe, Northern Europe, Western Europe, United Kingdom
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
M. v. brevipetala
M. v. collina
M. v. frozen
M. v. grandiflora
M. v. paui
M. v. verna
M. v. japonica
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
79
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
gardens, Grassland, Prairies, Suburban areas, Tropical regions
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-79-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-9
Sunset Zone
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Mat-forming
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
7.60 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.30 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
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
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Tiny
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season, Water more in summer
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads, Requires very little pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
Fungal Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Burns, Thyroid problems, tuberculosis
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Culinary use, Used As Food
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Alpine, Container, Edging, Groundcover, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
MINUARTIA verna
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Irish Moss
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
आयरिश काई
Sausage Tree
In German
Irish Moss
Sausage Tree
In French
Irish Moss
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
musgo de irlanda
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
Irish Moss
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
Moss irlandês
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
mech irlandzki
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
Irish Moss
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Lamiales
Family
Caryophyllaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Minuartia
Kaempferia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Tecomeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
509
1
27800
👆🏻