It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical gardens throughout the world, and has become naturalized in many places.

The flowers are light-blue or lavender, produced in tight clusters located on terminal and axillary stems, sometimes appearing as panicles, frequently recurved or pendulous, blooming in summer.

There is some debate about whether the plant is also native to the southern United States, in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and California, or is an introduced species there, at an altitude of 40–1100 meters above sea level.

[5] In its natural state, it commonly grows in rocky or sandy coastal areas with full sun, or moister, disturbed sites inland.

[6] Its showy flowers and fruit make it a desirable addition to gardens, and the blossoms attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

[6] Documented cases of toxicity in humans are sparse, with many secondary sources stating that children have died from consumption of the plant.

[He vomited] inky-looking liquid material, the fluid part of which was colourless, and the solid portion like coffee grounds.

The convulsive attacks now became more frequent and prolonged, [and] he died at 10:45 a.m. [A] small portion of [feces] passed about a quarter of an hour before death was scraped from the bed clothes and washed, when a number of partly digested berries of the Duranta plumieri was found in it.

[...] I am not aware that the toxicology of Duranta has ever been investigated, but the symptoms described above, taken with the presence of berries in the motions, appear to bear the relation of effect and cause.

It is of course dangerous to theorize too much on such a slender basis as a single case, and that but incompletely observed, but I think that the combination of circumstances described in the above report is a very strong piece of prima facie evidence for the conclusions arrived at.