This is an attractive evergreen tree and is a good ornamental garden tree or Bonsai. The small sweetly scented flowers are white, occasionally also with pink tinge. They appear in loose sprays, in the summer months. A fleshy fruit containing four seeds appears green and then turns bright red as it ripens in autumn. These attract birds to the garden. The light and soft wood is easy to work with, and with its straw colour, it makes attractive furniture. The bark is used as an emetic, and for treating dysentery. It is also used for tanning. Decoctions from roots are used to treat headaches, heartburn and for chronic coughs. Leaves are used as a remedy for intestinal worms. Unspecified parts of the tree are used magically to protect the chief from witchcraft.