Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Kigelia africana
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
915
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-126-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
910.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Dark Red, Tan
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Tan
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
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
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs a lot of water initially
Needs small amount of water
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Poisonous when unripe
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
Acne, Slow downs aging
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Dried seeds, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
KIGELIA africana
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Sausage Tree
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
Sausage Tree
सुई ताड़
In German
Sausage Tree
Nadel -Palme
In French
saucisse Arbre
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Árbol de salchicha
palmera aguja
In Greek
λουκάνικο δέντρο
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Árvore de salsicha
palmeira agulha
In Polish
kiełbasa Drzewo
Igła palma
In Latin
farciminis ligno
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Arecales
Family
Bignoniaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Kaempferia
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Tecomeae
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
910
1
27800
👆🏻