Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Shrub
Tree
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
-9
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Lower slopes
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-159-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Rosette
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
-
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
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
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION texanum
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
sotol
Sausage Tree
In German
Dasylirion texanum
Sausage Tree
In French
sotol
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
sotol
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
sotol
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
sotol
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
sotol
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
sotol
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Lamiales
Family
Liliaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Kaempferia
Clade
Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Tecomeae
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
-
Number of Species
3009
1
27800
👆🏻