Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Kigelia africana
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
910
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-129-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
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
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
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
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
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
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Soil Compaction
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Sausage Tree
Kapok baum
In French
saucisse Arbre
Fromager
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Ceiba
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Ceiba
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
Mafumeira
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Malvales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Ceiba
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
910
1
27800
👆🏻