[4] The plant is endemic to Madagascar, where it occurs in all provinces, those being Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina and Toliara.

The perianth is typically pale or yellowish-green to whitish, with rare descriptions noting it as yellow-orange.

The filaments are white, and the anthers vary in color from red to brown, yellow, or black.

[4] The original material of Blackwellia cerasifolia was cited by Étienne Pierre Ventenat in 1803 as “originaire de Madagascar; cultivé dans le Jardin Botanique de l’Isle de France, où le Célèbre Naturaliste Riche avoit cueilli l’exemplaire que je fais figurer.”[4][6] In 1857, Louis René Tulasne reassigned the species as Calantica cerasifolia.

Threats include residential and commercial development, logging, agriculture and aquaculture, and fire and its suppression, which have been linked to a continuing decline in population.