[2] The plant is known by a variety of names, including kou,[4] beach cordia, sea trumpet, and kerosene wood.

Other names for the species include kanawa, tou, mareer, manjak, snottygobbles, glueberry, and narrow-leafed bird lime tree.

In Java and Madura, it is known as kalimasada, purnamasada, or pramasada; Javanese folklore considers the tree to contain spiritual power.

[9] C. subcordata or kou trees are found along coasts at elevations from sea level to 30 m (98 ft) that receive 1,000–4,000 mm (39–157 in) of annual rainfall.

Kou wood burns readily as firewood, and this led to the nickname of "kerosene tree" in Papua New Guinea.

During the late 19th century, herbivory by the kou moth (Ethmia nigroapicella) nearly extirpated this species on the Hawaiian Islands.

[13] It is thought to be highly endangered in Sri Lanka, only persisting at a small number of sites that are under pressure from development.