This tree with large heartshaped leaves is native to much of Southeast Asia and introduced to Africa. It occurs in the forests of Christmas Island and Sri Lanka where it naturally occurs in the dry zone in the up country. It is widely used for timber, and its bark is used for fibers. The wood has a number of uses, including furniture and historical applications in shipbuilding. Very ornamental in a landscape, it has showy seeds that look like bunches of pinkish to dark red flowers from a distance.