Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Grass
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
North America, United States, Canada
Types
Kigelia africana
Schizachyrium scoparium
Number of Varieties
930
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-122-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
fungus, Leaf spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Bees
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
-
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Whole plant
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
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Little Bluestem
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
little bluestem
In German
Sausage Tree
wenig bluestem
In French
saucisse Arbre
barbon
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
Poco bluestem
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
Μικρή bluestem
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
pouco bluestem
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
trochę bluestem
In Latin
farciminis ligno
parum bluestem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Cyperales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Schizachyrium
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Tecomeae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
910
1
27800
👆🏻