Ochna serrulata grows very well in frost-free areas, but it can withstand light frost. It enjoys full sun, but also does well in semi-shade where it is a natural understorey plant. This beautiful shrub does best when given good garden soil with plenty of compost and mulch and watered regularly, but it can tolerate occasional periods of drought. It is slow-growing until established. It is best to prune it lightly after fruiting to stimulate new shoots and keep it compact and shapely.

Ochna serrulata is a champion performer, and the texture of the leaves and the bark makes this shrub an excellent garden plant even when it is not in flower or fruit. It can be used as a formal or informal hedge, because of its resistance to wind and tolerance of clipping. It can also be used as a feature plant or in the mixed border. It looks good and does well growing amongst rocks. Ochna serrulata does well as a container plant and has great potential as a bonsai plant. It can be complemented by other plants of different texture, such as Oldenburgia grandis, Helichrysum petiolare, Stoebe plumosa, Eriocephalus africana and cycads. This is also and excellent plant to grow if you want to attract birds to your garden.

Ochna serrulata is propagated by seed and cuttings. Seed must be very fresh — it does not keep at all, not even in the fridge. Pick the ripe black fruits, clean them and sow them immediately to achieve best results. Germination should occur within 6 weeks. It is a challenge to beat the birds to the fruits, and often the only ones left by them are infertile and the seed may be parasitised.

Semi-hardwood cuttings may be taken in summer (December-February). Cuttings should be treated with a rooting hormone and set in the mist unit with bottom heat of approx. 24ºC. They take 4-6 weeks to develop roots after that they may be taken out of the mist unit and hardened off for 2 weeks and then potted up. A fungicide may be applied on both seeds and the cuttings, but Ochna serrulata is not highly susceptible to fungal infection. Another way of getting new plants is to seek out, remove and pot up the seedlings and young plants that pop up in odd places from seed dispersed by the birds.