This tree is semi-parasitic, getting nourishment at first from nearby tree roots but becoming more independent with age.

It is similar in appearance to some conifers, especially some cedars, and was perhaps most widely used by early Europeans as a native alternative to the traditional pine Christmas tree.

Its strange cherry with its external seed was one of the very few native fruits known to early settlers, who came to value its sharp, dry flavour. For Tasmanian Aborigines it was one of many edible fruits. Aborigines also used the plant’s foliage as a treatment for sores and cuts, and its sap for cases of snakebite. Smoke from burning leaves was found to be an effective insect repellent.