This species is one of the best of our native plants for attracting butterflies and other insects to your garden. Many species of butterfly (most of them native) have been seen around our trees including the common brown, common jezebel, tailed emperor, blue triangle, macleay’s swallowtail, orchard swallowtail, Australian admiral, and wanderer. In addition many other insects are attracted to this tree, providing an abundant food source for insectivorous birds, such as the rose robin and grey fantail. Nectar feeding birds including the little wattle bird also love the flowers.
In its native habitat in the rainforests of northeast Queensland, it is one of the two main food species for the larvae of the Ullyses butterfly, the big blue butterfly which is well-known as the symbol of Dunk Island.