Kigelia africana in bloom

[Gtlevine]

I just love Kigelia africana for southern california gardens. Kigelia is an evergreen tropical tree even here in southern california and is very cold hardy. This is the third year mine is blooming and this year it has five or six long pendulous blooms.

[Palms1984]

That's a beautiful tree! How long has it been in the ground?

I've never seen one damage by cold here where I live, however, it's never been down to freezing (around where I live). I've read this tree is pretty tender, though.

[Gtlevine]

Mine has been in the ground for I think six years. 2007 it was 27F for one night, but other kigelias in so cal saw 25F for several days. I believe this is about their limit, which I consider pretty hardy.

Gary

[Palms1984]

Thanks for the information! I would guess the trees in southern California which experienced the several days of 25ºF/-3.9ºC would have had some leaf damage.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Hi Gary,

I love these also. This is the best blooming year for the one in the Arboretum. The older they get, the better the bloom display. Last year we got a couple of very stunted sausages so there is some vector for pollination or maybe we were just lucky with the wind. Do you have pollinators there or do you hand diddle?

[Gtlevine]

Hi Gary,

I love these also. This is the best blooming year for the one in the Arboretum. The older they get, the better the bloom display. Last year we got a couple of very stunted sausages so there is some vector for pollination or maybe we were just lucky with the wind. Do you have pollinators there or do you hand diddle?

I don't do anything and it has created sausages, so I assume there is a pollinator around.

Gary

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Here is Gary's tree last year proudly displaying it's crop of sausages I could tell this was one of Gary's favorites !

[Kim]

Very attractive tree, Gary. What do you do with the sausages?

In Tanzania, I saw these near Lake Manyara, and they seemed about the same size as a DoubleTree Inn. They were sheltering baboons and herds of elephants. Do you have plans for some complimentary fauna at your place?

[BigFrond]

Very nice! BBQ the sausages

If I didn't whack mine to the ground a couple of times, the would be close to flowering now.

[Alan_Tampa]

I am not too sure about VERY cold hardy. Maybe somewhat cold hardy. But beautiful nonetheless.

Mine took s beating at 25F

Alan

[Palms1984]

I am not too sure about VERY cold hardy. Maybe somewhat cold hardy. But beautiful nonetheless.

Mine took s beating at 25F

Alan

I'm pretty sure small, young trees would be severely damaged or killed at 25ºF/-3.9ºC.

[SubTropicRay]

The tree at Busch Gardens (Tampa) is alive and well. Some info I found online says it needs protection while young but can handle 25F with moderate damage when mature.

I picked up a sausage pod yesterday. Any tips on getting this thing open so seeds can be extracted?

[carver]

The best way seems to let the fruit rot on it's own, we have two large trees that are always dropping sausages, one right over my mulch pile. Volunteers start popping up after a few months of letting the mulch compost for soil.

Beautiful flower but messy, waking up in the morning when the flowers are still open you catch a strange odor, and the blanket of fallen flowers are like walking on slippery banana peels.

[Alan_Tampa]

You have to scarify the seeds. Also the juice is staining. Wear gloves.

[SubTropicRay]

Also the juice is staining. Wear gloves

Too late, my hands turned yellow on Sunday. My hands still look like I changed a cars power steering fluid.

[Takil-Explorer]

Those trees I have seen in Kruger National Park. Very nice trees, the fruits are eaten by elefants and many other animals.

Alexander

[QUINNPALMS]

I just love these kigelias!

QUESTION

I have a kigelia pinnata that i planted about a year ago, it has two trunks, i was wondering if i should cut the one on the left off at the split, and let the main (straighter ) trunk take over? also if i do cut it , can it be rooted to start another tree? any input /experience is appreciated!

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

You should cut the smaller side off now while the tree is not of gigantic proportions. I doubt if it would root from cuttings but maybe. I have no experience with that for this tree. You might want to try air layering instead.

[bahia]

Just curious to know if anyone is growing this, or has seen it growing and blooming here in the SF bay area? It would appear to be just barely cold tolerant enough to survive a winter here in Sunset zones 16/17, but I've never see any around that I know of. Perhaps it is intolerant of our longer/wetter winters...

[QUINNPALMS]

You should cut the smaller side off now while the tree is not of gigantic proportions. I doubt if it would root from cuttings but maybe. I have no experience with that for this tree. You might want to try air layering instead.

tks for the info, I did some reading and it seems they do grow from cuttings , however, not sure if the entire branch would be too big for a cutting , air layering might be the ticket!

[BigFrond]

You should cut the smaller side off now while the tree is not of gigantic proportions. I doubt if it would root from cuttings but maybe. I have no experience with that for this tree. You might want to try air layering instead.

tks for the info, I did some reading and it seems they do grow from cuttings , however, not sure if the entire branch would be too big for a cutting , air layering might be the ticket!

A big branch may be difficult. However, cutting of about the size of your pinky is very easy. All you have to do is just stick into a wet, shady area and it should root within a week. I tested this out after I lopped off my tree. All six of my cuttings are now 3 ft tall trees. This is one of the easiest tree to root from cuttings. You don't need any hormones.