They are shrubs and small trees. The leaves are deciduous and the stems are usually thorny. It has edible fruit. Roots are used by traditional healers to induce trance states before divining dances. Plants are also used as protective charms in graves to prevent disturbances of newly interred bodies. The hairy turkey- berry is an attractive tree for the garden. It grows as an evergreen compact shrub, and it is ideally suited for a coastal and forest garden, and in gardens where space is limited. The fruit attract birds. The species is frost-tender and should not be planted in areas that are prone to heavy frost.