The wood is one of the best timbers of the tropics, useful for particle board, plywood core stock, pit props, matches, and saw timber for light construction, furniture, general carpentry, and packing. Also used in carriages, carvings, musical instruments, and ornamental work. Graveyard tests indicate that the untreated timber may last 15 years in contact with the soil. With pulping properties superior to most hardwood pulps, gmelina has been planted by the millions, e.g. in the Rio Jari region of Brazil to feed a 750 MT/day kraft pulp mill. In Gambia there are dual purpose plantings, for firewood and for honey. It is often planted as an ornamental avenue shade tree. The wood makes a fairly good charcoal. According to Little (1983), the leaves are harvested for fodder for animals and silkworms; the bittersweet fruits were once consumed by humans.