Sausage tree
Kigelia has long sausage-shaped fruits that are toxic raw.
Use the botanical sourceCulinary reference
African baobab.
Adansonia digitata
Also found as Monkey bread tree
An iconic African savanna tree with a massive trunk and velvety pods filled with tart, powdery pulp.
Sources checked 27 September 2026 · Specialist field review pending
Before any gathering or use
Respect community and customary ownership of trees.
Where it grows
Tracked records and known growing zone
- Verified records
- 5,227
- People who recorded it
- 1,793
- Most records (northern hemisphere)
- Jan–Mar, May–Jun, Nov
- Records span
- 1964–2026
| January | 181 |
|---|---|
| February | 124 |
| March | 115 |
| April | 71 |
| May | 111 |
| June | 97 |
| July | 78 |
| August | 73 |
| September | 79 |
| October | 69 |
| November | 167 |
| December | 90 |
| January | 228 |
|---|---|
| February | 211 |
| March | 229 |
| April | 442 |
| May | 244 |
| June | 384 |
| July | 363 |
| August | 446 |
| September | 394 |
| October | 261 |
| November | 520 |
| December | 250 |
Research-grade iNaturalist records, snapshot Aug 27, 2026. The growing zone combines areas where different people have repeatedly verified it. Records show where people looked and found it, not current abundance or permission to gather.
01 / Learn to see
Field marks
- 01
Enormous swollen trunk with smooth gray bark.
- 02
Palmate leaves of five to seven leaflets, shed in the dry season.
- 03
Large white hanging flowers and velvety oval pods.
These are study prompts, not a complete identification key. Confirm the full plant with a regional flora and an experienced local identifier.
02 / Resolve the differences
Look closely. Compare.
Selected comparisons only. Other lookalikes may occur locally.
03 / Meet the place
Habitat & season
Range context
Dry savannas of sub-Saharan Africa; planted elsewhere.
Watch the plant stage
Pods in the dry season; leaves in the rains.
Stage guidance is not a local forecast. Check your climate, elevation and a regional source; no month-shift formula is used here.
04 / Gather with care
Documented use & care
Parts discussed: Fruit pulp · Leaf
Eat the dry pulp or mix into drinks. Young leaves are cooked as a vegetable.
Care for the patch
Baobabs are long-lived and culturally important. Harvest fallen pods and leaves without damaging trees.
Preparation & storage essentials05 / Follow the evidence
Sources & review
- Wikipedia · Adansonia digitataBotanical description, range and documented use
- iNaturalist · Adansonia digitataTaxonomy and verified observation records
Checked 27 September 2026. Original editorial synthesis; source institutions have not reviewed or endorsed this guide. Independent botanical field review is pending. Photos illustrate specimens; they do not certify the identity of a plant you find.
Suggest a correction