It grows rapidly from the seed or cuttings that are pushed into the ground. The typical substrate on which it grows is the black mud on the banks of the estuaries on South Africa 's east coast.

Split the hard outer covering of the fruit to expose the seed which is about the size of a small chicken egg. Usually a large proportion of the fruits are seedless. Place the seed in a 1:1 mixture of sand and compost kept in a warm, well-ventilated area receiving a lot of light. The seeds generally germinate in 10 to 14 days, depending upon the heat. The seedlings can be planted out into large containers or into the open ground in their second season of growth.

When growing it in a garden (or relatively dry conditions), it is best to water it regularly during the establishment phase and during winter, otherwise the plant is likely to die. In Durban and Sri Lanka the weather is such that it is used as a roadside tree. Generally B. racemosa cannot tolerate even mild frost, however, it has been grown successfully in the Highveld when kept in a greenhouse under permanently well-watered and very humid conditions.

The very large, spear-shaped leaves provide plenty of shade and any plants grown in close proximity to the tree should be shade plants that can tolerate very moist soils. It is well suited for small gardens because the horizontal branching of B. racemosa makes the canopy easy to prune to the required size. B. racemosa is deciduous, dropping its leaves for a short time in early summer before the first rains on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

The wood is susceptible to sap-stain and being attacked by termites and marine borer; the sapwood is prone to attack by Lyctus borers.