This is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree and for attracting birds and butterflies into the garden.It is popularly planted as a street tree in a number of South African towns and cities. With its thick crown and somewhat drooping leaves,the wild plum is a good shade tree in the garden.

The Harpephyllum caffrum grows from the Eastern Cape northwards through KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, southern Mozambique, Limpopo and into Zimbabwe. This is a popular tree in frost-free areas.

H. caffrum grows easily from seeds. Stored seeds should be soaked in water for a day and then be scrubbed with a brush to remove the fleshy part. It must then be sown in trays filled with river sand or a normal potting soil. They should not be planted too deep as they can easily rot. The seeds take 7 to 11 days to germinate.

The wild plum can also be propagated by means of cuttings and truncheons.The truncheons should be dried before planting; they can be left lying in the shade for a day or until all exudate has dried. The hole in which the truncheon is going to be planted should be filled with a layer of river sand to promote root formation and improve drainage. This also helps to combat fungal diseases.

The shiny dark green and glossy leaves are pinnate with sickle-shaped leaflets, and are sometimes interspersed with the odd red leaves.

Larvae of the common hairtail butterfly (Anthene definite) and the Eggar moth (Lasiocampa kollikerii) feed on leaves of this tree.

The whitish green flowers are borne near the ends of the branches with male and female flowers on separate trees, throughout summer (November to February).