The long funnel-shaped sometimes-fragrant yellow (less commonly apricot, sometimes white) flowers are in few-flowered terminal clusters.

[5] Its fruit is deep red-black in color encasing a large seed that bears some resemblance to a 'Chinese lucky nut.

It is effectively drought resistant and tolerant to high temperatures, hence found in various states of India like Andhra, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Assam where semi arid climate is prevalent.

[citation needed] All parts of the C. thevetia plant are toxic to most vertebrates as they contain cardiac glycosides.

[13][14][15][16][17][18] In South India and in Sri Lanka swallowing the seeds of Thevetia peruviana[19] (Kaneru කණේරු (Sinhala), Manjal arali (Tamil)) is one of the preferred methods for suicides in villages where they are grown in abundance.

[21] In 2023, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported on weight loss supplements substituting Crataegus mexicana and Aleurites moluccanus for C. thevetia, following multiple hospitalizations.