Requires a lime-free nutrient-rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade and shelter from cold drying winds, especially when young. Succeeds in a limy soil according to another report. Hardy to about -10°c, trees succeed outdoors at Kew but shoots of young plants are apt to be cut back in winter. They grow very well in S.W. England. An ideal plant for the small garden or as a lawn specimen, it has a neat, compact, upright growth habit, retaining its lower leafy branches close to the ground and casting little shade. The flowers have a honey-like fragrance which will pervade the whole garden on calm days. Trees are slow-growing in the wild, living up to 225 years, though they are fairly fast growing in cultivation when young. They dislike being transplanted and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible. Give them some protection in their first winter outdoors. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus.

Fruit - raw or cooked. A bland taste. Very sour according to another report. After boiling the fruit can be dried for later use. The fruit is about 15mm in diameter.

Seed - best surface sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be soaked for 5 - 6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a shady position in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to become dry. 6 weeks cold stratification helps. The seed usually germinates well in 2 - 3 months at 20°c. Seedlings are prone to damp off, they are best transplanted to individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should be kept well ventilated. Grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Basal cuttings in late winter. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November/December in a frame. Poor percentage. Layering of young wood - can take 2 years.

Found in a wide range of soils and climates and also in many different habitats. Grows in drier areas on high well-drained slopes usually in rich soils, occasionally on gravel.