Sausage tree (Kigelia africana)

The sausage tree, Kigelia africana, is an African tree planted in Indian parks and temple grounds for its astonishing fruit: grey, sausage-shaped and heavy, hanging on rope-like stalks. The fruit is not food. Fresh fruit is reported to be poisonous to people, and the tree is best enjoyed as a curiosity.

Botanical name: Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth.
Family: Bignoniaceae
Tamil: Marapalam
Hindi: Balam kheera
Parts used: None as food
Habit: Hanging sausage Bignonia; not a cucumber
Last updated: 2026-10-25

How to recognise Sausage tree

The fruit is the giveaway: up to half a metre or more long and several kilograms in weight, dangling from stalks a metre or longer. Do not park or sit directly under a fruiting tree.

The flowers are large, velvety and dark maroon, hanging in long sprays. They open at night, smell unpleasant to people, and are pollinated by bats.

Leaves are pinnate and rough, with a few broad leaflets. The tree is spreading and rounded, semi-evergreen in Indian cities.

In Hindi it is sometimes called balam kheera, “cucumber”, purely for the shape. It is in the jacaranda and trumpet-vine family, not the gourd family.

Traditional use of Sausage tree

African practice

In parts of Africa the fruit is dried, roasted or fermented, for example into traditional beer, and used on the skin. Those are processed preparations made with local knowledge.

African ethnobotany

Indian planting

In India it is grown as a shade and ornamental tree in parks, campuses and temple grounds, mostly for the novelty of its fruit.

Indian avenue and temple planting

Modern notes on Sausage tree

The fruit appears in cosmetic creams marketed for the skin. The research behind them is mostly laboratory work on extracts, not trials showing a real-world benefit.

Bat pollination makes it a favourite of naturalists. Watching fruit bats at the flowers after dark is a genuine city wildlife experience.

Sausage tree safety

Do not eat the fresh fruit. It is reported to be toxic and strongly purgative.

A falling fruit can injure people and damage vehicles, so choose planting sites with care.

Ecology and sourcing

In Africa it grows along rivers in savanna, where elephants, giraffes and baboons feed on the fruit and disperse the seed.

In India it is planted, not wild, and it rarely spreads on its own.

Related plants

Also in Bignoniaceae

Questions about Sausage tree

Can you eat the fruit of Sausage tree?

No. Fresh fruit is reported to be poisonous. Traditional African uses involve roasting or fermenting it.

What older names does Kigelia africana go by?

Kigelia pinnata.

Why do the flowers smell bad?

They are adapted to bats, which are drawn to musky, fermented scents.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.