Kigelia africana

Common Name : Sausage tree, cucumber tree, Kigelia Botanical Name : Kigelia africana Family : Bignoniaceae

Kingdom - Plantae

Order - Lamiales

Genus - Kigelia

Type - Evergreen, deciduous, ornamental tree

Origin / Native - Tropical Africa, Namibia, Senegal, Eritrea

Height - Up to 65.7 feet tall [ 20 meters]

Flowering Month - Mar to May

Hindi - Balam khira, Jhar fanoos

Fruits used in - African herbal medicine

Attracts - Butterflies, Bees, Birds, bats

Flowers - Large, Velvety, Maroon, Deep Red, bell-shaped, Fragrant, clustered flowers connected with long stems

Leaves - Dark Green, Glossy[slightly], Oppositely arranged, Compound, 8 oval shaped leaflets

Fruits - Long, Brown, Woody, Pulpy, Drooping, 13.228lb to 19.842lb, Summer to Frost, Attracts baboons, monkeys

Found In - Forests, Floodplains, Riverbanks

Hazards - Immature, green, fresh fruit is poisonous, Falling fruits seriously damage vehicles & harm to humans

Light Requirement & Care -Full sun, Average Water

Growth Rate - Fast

Best For -Bank of a river, Parks, Public garden

Close up view of kigelia africana flower bud

Sausage tree flower bud - Near Blooming

Kigelia africana flower

Sausage tree flower spikes

Kigelia africana bark

Full View of Kigelia africana - Sausage tree

Kigelia africana flower buds

Kigelia africana fruit and leaves

Photographs: Guna Selvi Camera: Nikon D40x Location : Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore[Bengaluru], Karnataka, India