Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tree
Fruit
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Middle Africa, Southern Africa
Types
Kigelia africana
-
Number of Varieties
91
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Low Elevation, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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 cm240.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
Lemon yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Green, Orange, Light Green, Dark Green, Orange Red
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
-
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
reseeds, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Do not water excessively
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
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
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Nematodes, Powdery mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
-
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Vermifuge
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Fruits, Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
CUCUMIS metuliferus
Common Name
Sausage Tree
African Horned Cucumber, Blowfish Fruit, Jelly Melon, Kiwano Melon
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
Kiwano Melon
In German
Sausage Tree
Hornmelone
In French
saucisse Arbre
Cucumis metulifer
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Cucumis metuliferus
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Kiwano Melon
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
pepino africano
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Ogórek kiwano
In Latin
farciminis ligno
Kiwano Melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Violales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Tecomeae
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
91
1
27800
👆🏻