This tree grows in woodlands that are burnt essentially annually, and so the most obvious ecological adaptation concerns a strategy for surviving fire. Woody plants growing in these conditions have developed two main strategies for survival: they either keep reserves safely underground and sprout new aerial growth after every fire, or protect the main trunk and as many branches as possible from the heat as the fire passes through. The common name tells us how this tree achieves the second strategy: it is the corky-barked monkey-orange. This bark is by its nature insulating (think of cork tiles etc.) and does not burn readily, and so after a fire, trees with bark like this can rapidly exploit the new source of fertilizer, if only because their leaves stand above those of plants still pushing new growth out of the ground.

The inconspicuous green flowers suggest that the pollinator (none has been recorded for this tree) detects the presence of pollen and nectar by some means other than sight. What that means is, remains a subject for future investigation. The fruits suggest that the dispersal mechanism of the seeds involves a herbivorous mammal. The woody shell of the fruit makes one think of something with either large, strong jaws (like a rhino) or good teeth and a great deal of patience (like a rodent). The latter would be better placed to exploit the flesh in the fruit and leave the seeds alone, but the former may be more use to the tree, as it would be capable of eating and digesting the fruit without damaging the seeds. There are no published studies of the dispersal of this tree, and so which of these possibilities is nearer to being correct remains to be seen.