Saflax - Sausage Tree - Kigelia pinnata - 10 seeds - A curiosity in Africa – Sausages like in the land of milk and honey. With germ-free and air-permeable coconut fiber substrate for successful cultivation. Worth knowing: Even David Livingstone was already resting under the massive crown of a Kigelia, at the time of the discovery of the Victoria-Falls in the triangle of countries between Zimbabwe, Zambia and today’s Namibia. The Tree has purple or dark red coloured and up to 13 cm big, hanging blossoms that produce lots of juicy nectar. These blossoms open up at night to attract bats as pollinators. Later on, at the bottom of its long peduncles, the Sausage Tree produces 30 to 50 cm long fruits, that look like sausages and make the plant a real curiosity among african trees. For elephants and giraffes the fruits are a welcoming food source. For humans on the other hand, they are not very delecious. Nevertheless, the agents won from the fruits, roots and bark of the tree are often offered as natural remedies on many local markets. In southern Malawi it is a custom, to hang the fruits in one corner of the hut to protect the home from hurricanes. . Natural Place: The Sausage Tree has its origin in West Africa, but by now it can be found anywhere on the continent. Cultivation: Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you should place the seeds for two days in warm water for priming. Then plant the seeds about 1 cm deep in moist potting compost and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25° Celsius and keep the earth moist but not wet. The first seedlings will come up after three to six weeks. Place: Sausage Trees like best to be kept bright and warm, during summer even outdoors at a wind-protected place. Care: During dry season the Sausage Tree usually casts all its leaves in its natural habitat. When kept as a tub plant that might happen elsewhere as well, and is nothing to worry about. Water your tree during growth rather moderate and give fertilizer for tub plants every two weeks. During Winter: The Sausage Tree is a tropical plant and therefore not frost-resistant. During winter it is best to keep it in a bright spot with a temperature of at least 12° Celsius. Also, less watering is required - once every four weeks, to prevent the roots from drying out, would be enough. Bonsai: No Picture credits: Because of technical limitations links are shown as text. 22311-kigelia-pinnata-seed-package-front-german.jpg - © Sabine Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-kigelia-pinnata-cultivation-instruction-german.jpg - Frank Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-01-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - Sabine Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-02-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - Sabine Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-03-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - Sabine Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-03-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - Sabine Laue - © Saflax - saflax.de/copyright 12311-39-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - - - 12311-40-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - Bjørn Christian Tørrissen - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 12311-41-Kigelia-pinnata.jpg - L. Shyamal - CC-BY-3.0 - creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/