Sausage Tree (Kigelia africana)

Product description

The sausage tree can reach a height of 20 meters and grows along rivers in the central part of Africa. The outstanding dark-red flowers are velvety soft from the inside, and produce so much nectar that they flood sometimes. The fruits resemble sausages and can be a meter long and up to 9 kg in weight. They cannot be eaten freshly, but for example in Malawi they are roasted and added to beer for its taste. The fruits would also have medical features. Monkeys eat the fruits and drink the nectar, deers eat the fallen flowers, elephants eat the leaves and megabats pollinate the flowers.

The species can be kept as a tub plant at a minimum temperature of 4 degC during the winter. A sheltered and sunny stand is ideal.

Sowing description: Soak the seeds for 48 hours in lukewarm water, then sow the seeds in sowing mix. Keep the soil constantly moist by covering it with plastic foil or glass, and let the seeds germinate in a warm spot.

Photo 1: Karl Gercens via Flickr
Photo 2: Kristine Paulus via Flickr
Photo 3: Gip Gipukan via Flickr