The pods, harvested in Mexico, Cuba, and Thailand, and customarily sold on roadside stands, contain a thick sweetish, but also acidic pulp, eaten raw or made into a drink similar to lemonade. The plants withstand heavy browsing. The gum exuding from the trunk can be used for mucilage, the tannin for tanning. The bark is harvested for tanning in Mexico. Tree seems promising for the cultivation of the lac insect.
Flowers make good honey.
Per 100 g, the seed is reported to contain 13.5 g H 2 O, 17.7 g protein, 17.1 g fat, 41.4 g starch, 7.8 g fiber, 2.6 g ash. On alcoholic extraction, the seeds yield a saponin, a sterol glucoside, a flavone, and lecithin. It is said to cause dermititis and eye inflammation. At the base of each leaf is normally found a pair of short, sharp spines, though some specimens are spineless. Germplasm Reported from the American Center of Diversity, guamachil, or cvs thereof is reported to tolerate drought, heat, poor soil, salt, sand, and shade.