Sausage tree
Kigelia africana, family Bignoniaceae
African tree with large sausage-shaped fruit and striking maroon flowers
The sausage tree (Kigelia africana) is a tropical African tree known for its long, heavy, sausage-like fruit and large, bell-shaped maroon flowers. It grows wild in rainforests, woodlands, and savannas, and is valued for its traditional uses, ornamental appeal, and cultural significance.
- Produces sausage-shaped fruit up to 1 metre long and 12 kg in weight
- Flowers emit a strong scent at night to attract bats for pollination
- Fruit pulp is poisonous to humans when raw but used in traditional drinks
- Wood and fruit are carved into tools, utensils, and musical instruments
- Fruit is traded as a good luck charm in African markets
What does Sausage tree look like?
The sausage tree is a large tree that can reach up to 24 metres tall, with a rounded crown and thick trunk. Its leaves are divided into several pairs of shiny green leaflets. The tree produces long, flexible stems bearing clusters of fleshy, bell-shaped flowers in shades of orange, maroon, or purplish green. At night, the flowers give off a strong, unpleasant scent that attracts bats. The tree’s most striking feature is its sausage-shaped fruit, which can be up to a metre long and weigh as much as 12 kilograms. The fruit hangs on rope-like stems and is greyish-brown and woody.
Where does Sausage tree come from?
Kigelia africana is native to tropical Africa, growing wild in rainforests, woodlands, wetter savannas, and shrublands, often on loamy or red clay soils. It can be found from sea level up to 3,000 metres elevation. The genus name comes from a Mozambican Bantu word, and it is known by various names in local languages. The tree has a long history of use in African communities, with archaeological evidence of its wood being used for tools over 300,000 years ago at Kalambo Falls in Zambia.
When and how Sausage tree blooms
The sausage tree blooms with large, showy flowers that hang from long, flexible stems. These flowers are pollinated mainly by bats at night, drawn by their strong scent, but nectar-feeding birds also visit them during the day. The tree grows best in wetter areas and can be either deciduous or evergreen, depending on rainfall. It is propagated from seed and is now also grown as an ornamental tree in tropical regions outside Africa.
How Sausage tree is used
Local African communities use the sausage tree for many purposes. The fruit and bark are used in traditional medicine, though the raw fruit is poisonous to humans. Around Mount Kenya, dried fruit is used to make an alcoholic drink. The wood is crafted into canoes, tools, and household items, and the fruit yields a black dye. The tree is also planted for its decorative flowers and unusual fruit, and its fruit is traded as a good luck charm.
Kinds of Sausage tree
Kigelia is a monotypic genus, meaning it contains only one species: Kigelia africana, also known as Kigelia pinnata. Its common names vary by region, including sausage tree, worsboom in Afrikaans, and cucumber tree. The tree can be either evergreen or deciduous, depending on local rainfall.
What Sausage tree means
The sausage tree holds cultural and spiritual significance in many African societies, where it is considered sacred and its fruit is thought to bring good luck. The tree is widely grown for ornament and is a familiar sight in local markets. Its wood and fruit have been used for thousands of years, and it remains important in traditional practices and celebrations.
Where Sausage tree is used and seen
Questions people ask about Sausage tree
Where does the sausage tree come from?
The sausage tree (Kigelia africana) is native to tropical Africa, where it grows in rainforests, woodlands, savannas, and shrublands, often in wetter areas and on red clay or loamy soils.
What does the sausage tree look like?
It is a large tree with a rounded crown, thick trunk, and shiny green leaflets. Its showy, bell-shaped flowers are orange to maroon and hang from long stems. The tree’s fruit is large, woody, and shaped like a sausage.
Is the fruit of the sausage tree edible?
The raw fruit is poisonous to humans and can cause blistering, but the seeds may be roasted and eaten. In some regions, the dried fruit is used to make an alcoholic drink after processing.
What is the sausage tree used for?
It is used in traditional medicine, for making alcoholic drinks, as a source of black dye, and for crafting tools, canoes, and household items. The tree is also valued as an ornamental and for its cultural significance.
What does the sausage tree symbolise?
In many African communities, the sausage tree is considered sacred, and its fruit is traded as a talisman believed to bring good luck.
Good reading and sources
- USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
- Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
- Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
- Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Kigelia", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. It is not medical or foraging advice: many flowers are poisonous, and traditional uses are reported, not recommended. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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