Polyspora axillaris is native to western Malesia and belongs to the tea family, a lineage that includes camellias and their attendant elegance. The flowers are large, fragrant, and produced in such quantity that they cover the ground beneath the tree after they drop, extending the display well beyond the branches. In suitable climates — zones 8 through 10 — it reaches 8 to 20 feet, functioning as a large shrub or small tree with a tidy presence. Bees find it worthwhile, and the plant has evolved naturally on hillsides, which makes it genuinely useful for erosion control on difficult slopes.

Full sun to partial shade suits it, with consistent watering and loamy soil. Shelter from cold wind matters, particularly at the margins of its hardiness range; a protected south-facing position or the warmth of a courtyard wall will carry it through winters that might otherwise push it too hard. Very little pruning is needed beyond a light trim after flowering in spring. Those outside its hardiness range can grow it in a pot and overwinter it indoors.