[3] The specific epithet 'hortensia' derives from 'hortensis' and 'hortus' which in Latin is related to the garden.

The soft, yellowish-white wood is brittle and can break under strong gusts of wind.

Leaves are prone to attack by Acherontia styx and Hyblaea puera.

[6] The white flowers come as large panicles which emit a pleasant fragrance.

In cultivation, the viability of seeds is low unless they are sown immediately after the fruit ripens, so the plant is generally propagated through cuttings.