Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
South Africa
Types
Kigelia africana
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
97
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-129-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
9-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green
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
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Toxic
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
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Buttonbush
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Sausage Tree
Button Strauch
In French
saucisse Arbre
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Rubiales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Cephalanthus
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
912
1
27800
👆🏻