Kigelia PINNATA

Kigelia PINNATA - Sausage tree, Kigelia pinnata, Kigelia africana.

Kigelia is a monotypic genus in the family Bignoniaceae: it contains only one species. The plant is native to tropical and southern Africa, where it grows along riverbanks, in gallery forests, and in humid savannas.

It is an evergreen or semi-deciduous tree, 10-20 m (33-66 ft) in height, with a broad rounded crown and smooth gray bark that peels with age.

The leaves are odd-pinnate, consisting of 7-11 large leathery leaflets, clustered at the ends of branches. The flowers are very large, up to 10-15 cm (4-6 in), funnel-shaped, dark maroon with yellow veins, hanging on long peduncles up to several meters in length. The fruit is an enormous gray-brown woody berry hanging on a long stalk.

The sausage tree received its nickname precisely for its fruits: they are cylindrical, 30-100 cm (12-39 in) long and weighing up to 10 kg (22 lb), hanging on the tree like giant sausages.

The flowers open at night and last for one day, emitting a rather sharp, sourish odor. By morning they fall off, forming a carpet of maroon funnels beneath the tree. Flowering and fruiting in cultivation begin quite late, usually after six to eight years.

Kigelia seeds are large, flat, and have a dense seed coat. Before sowing, they are soaked for 24-48 hours in warm water or in a growth stimulant solution (SUPERthrive, HB-101, Aminozol, Epin, or Zircon) until swollen. Scarification is usually not required, but very hard seeds can benefit from light filing on the side. Stratification is not needed.

Sowing is carried out in a sterile, loose substrate of peat and sand to a depth of about 2 cm (0.8 in). The sowing is moistened with a spray bottle, covered with a transparent lid or placed in a mini-greenhouse, and germinated at a temperature of 25-30 °C (77-86 °F), preferably with bottom heat.

Seedlings emerge within 2-4 weeks, quite uniformly. The sowings are ventilated daily, and condensation is removed. The seedlings grow rapidly, so pricking out into individual deep pots is performed immediately after the expansion of the first pair of true leaves.

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The plant needs the brightest possible location with direct sun; in summer it is best moved outdoors.

Warm conditions are required year-round, optimally 22-30 °C (72-86 °F). In winter, the temperature should not drop below 12-15 °C (54-59 °F). Kigelia does not tolerate frosts.

Watering should be regular and generous during the active growth period: in nature, the tree grows along riverbanks and is moisture-loving. In winter, under cooler conditions, watering is reduced.

The substrate should be nutritious, loose, and well-draining, based on leaf mold and peat with the addition of sand. A drainage layer must be placed at the bottom of the pot, and a deep container should be selected.

Fertilization with a balanced complex fertilizer is applied once every two to three weeks from spring until the end of summer.

Kigelia grows quickly, so repotting is required annually in spring, and the crown is shaped regularly by pruning.

Special notes: Fresh fruits of Kigelia are poisonous and cause severe digestive upset; they are unsuitable for consumption without special processing. The plant should be kept out of reach of children and pets.