Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
North America, United States, Northeastern United States, Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Southwestern United States, Texas, Canada, Mexico
Types
Kigelia africana
-
Number of Varieties
94
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
meadows, Prairies, Riverbanks, Roadsides, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-122-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm38.10 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm152.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Sandy Brown
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Medium
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for animals, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
-
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Leaves, Stem
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Decoration Purposes, Food for animals
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Wildflower
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
ANDROPOGON gerardii
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Big Bluestem, Turkey Foot
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Big Bluestem grass
In German
Sausage Tree
Große Bartgras
In French
saucisse Arbre
Barbon de Gérard herbe
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
hierba andropogon grande
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Big BLUESTEM γρασίδι
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
Vetiver grande grama
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Big Bluestem trawa
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Big bluestem herba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lillosida
Order
Lamiales
Poaceae
Family
Bignoniaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Andropogon
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
9150
1
27800
👆🏻