This tree is more tropical and withstands severe heat, drought and frost. The rainfall require-ments are as low as 300 - 500 mm, but it does occur in areas of rainfall up to 2000 mm.
It has a smaller fruit than the jujube. The fruits are eaten fresh, dried, powdered into a meal, boiled with rice, or used in preserves, jellies, sauces and beverages. It is also made into a liqueur (crema de ponsigne) and the dried fruits are mixed with salt and tamarind pulp to make a condiment. Young leaves are cooked and eaten in Indonesia.
The leaves are fed to the tsar silkworm. It can also be used as a host to lac insects for the production of shellac. The foliage is considered good fodder for cattle, camels and goats. The bark can be used for tanning. The limber is fine grained, hard and strong with a reddish colour.
It works well and takes a good polish. It is considered a good firewood tree having a specific gravity of 0.93 and a heat content of almost 4,900 kcal per kg.