Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Biennials
Type
Tree
Vegetable
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
India, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Types
Kigelia africana
Lagenaria siceraria
Number of Varieties
92
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Moist Soils, Tropical Climate
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-125-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
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
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Yellow, Orange, Dark Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Yellow, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Palmate
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
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
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, water on alternate days
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
Cut out old flower stalks, Prune after flowering, Remove branches that rub together, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
High potassium diluted feed of 5-10-5, Nitrogen, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Army-worms, Bacteria wilt, Bacterial leaf spot, Blight, Cucumber beetles, Cutworms, Fusarium leaf spot, Leaf rust, Red spider mite, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Full Sun, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Flies, Flying insects
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Hypoglycaemic Coma, Irregular Heart Rhythm
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Decorating walls, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
Anti-ageing, Making cosmetics
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Insect Repellent
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Anti-fungal, Blood disorders, Culinary Usage, Diabetes, Gastrointestinal disorders, Laxative, Nutritive, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Fruits
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Cosmetics, Culinary use, Repellent, Used in making musical instruments
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Vine
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name
Sausage Tree
calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, opo squash
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
लौकी
In German
Sausage Tree
Flaschenkürbis
In French
saucisse Arbre
Lagenaria siceraria
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Lagenaria siceraria
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Τσότρα
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
Cabaça
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Tykwa pospolita
In Latin
farciminis ligno
utrem cucurbita
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cucurbitales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Coccinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
Papilionoideae
Number of Species
927
1
27800
👆🏻