Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Southern Africa
Types
Kigelia africana
Carissa bispinosa, Carissa carandas
Number of Varieties
920
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Coastal Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-129-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H2, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm90.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm60.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Tan
Light Red
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 and Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Shade areas
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting, Vegetative Reproduction
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Water daily during growing season, Water when top layer of soil becomes dry
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
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Insects, Red blotch, Scale, Spider mites, Thripes, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Bonsai, Cottage Garden, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
-
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edging, Edible, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
CARISSA macrocarpa
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Carissia
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Carissa
In German
Sausage Tree
carissa
In French
saucisse Arbre
carissa
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
carissa
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
carissa
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
carissa
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
carissa
In Latin
farciminis ligno
carissa
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Gentianales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Apocynaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Carissa
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Tecomeae
Carisseae
Subfamily
-
Rauvolfioideae
Number of Species
9100
1
27800
👆🏻