|
Sausage Tree Kigelia pinnata (Kigelia
africana) Unusual tree featuring
3-24" long sausage shaped fruits growing at the ends of long
stems. The flowers are also quite showy and the fruit, while not
palatable for humans, is popular with hippos, baboons, and giraffes. |
|
|
|
Uses |
| Mainly grown as a curiosity and ornamental, both for its beautiful red flowers and its strange fruit. There are also a range of traditional uses for the fruit, varying from topical treatments for skin afflictions, to treatment for intestinal worms. There are some steroid chemicals found in the sausage tree that are currently added to commercially available shampoos and facial creams. |
 |
|
|
Plant Cultivation |
| Medium sized tree to 45ft. It is marginally subtropical and can stand
some frost and temperatures to 28F. Propagation: By seed. |
|
|
Origin and Distribution |
| Found near riverbanks throughout much of South and Central Africa. |
|
|
Related Species |
