It is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

[2][3] It is used for fuel wood, for medicinal purposes, as a woodworking material, and is useful as a nitrogen-fixing plant to improve nutrient-depleted farming land.

It has several common names, including kosso,[1] barwood,[4] African kino tree, muninga, and vène; mukwa is used for this species as well as other Pterocarpus.

The tree also grows in forests of Comoé National Park in Côte d'Ivoire, a region geographically close to the Sahel but with a higher moisture regime due to its location between two large rivers.

P. erinaceus grows well on sunny, hot African plains with long dry seasons and frequent fires.