Kanchan also called Orchid tree is staggeringly beautiful when in bloom - and it blooms for several months! It grows 20-40 ft tall and 10-20 ft wide with a spreading crown. The flowers often make their first appearance in late winter while the tree is bare of leaves. If you observe the flat pods of this tree closely, you will often witness the calyx (a part of the flower) at the base.

A postal stamp was issued by the Indian Postal Department to commemorate this tree. It is a cultivated ornamental tree in India.

Though the leaves may look similar, this tree is different from the sona leaves given during Dusshera.

Various parts are used in folk medicine for treating gastric complaints. It shows good antioxidant and anticancer properties.

The reddish heartwood is durable and is used for making farming tools.

A traditional dish called the kachnar curry is prepared using the buds of this tree, along with the addition of yogurt, onions and native spices. Kachnar buds are also eaten as a stir-fried vegetable in various parts of the country and used to make pickle in many parts of the Indian sub-continent.