Succeeds in a sunny position in most soils so long as they are well drained, preferring a neutral or slightly alkaline soil and succeeding on chalk. Succeeds in dry soils. An aggregate species. There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value. 'Bar Harbour' is very salt-resistant. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

The fruits are roasted and used in the preparation of a coffee-like beverage. A tea is made from the young branch tips.

The seed requires a period of cold stratification. The seed has a hard seedcoat and can be very slow to germinate, requiring a cold period followed by a warm period and then another cold spell, each of 2 - 3 months duration. Soaking the seed for 3 - 6 seconds in boiling water may speed up the germination process. The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Some might germinate in the following spring, though most will take another year. Another possibility is to harvest the seed 'green' (when the embryo has fully formed but before the seedcoat has hardened). The seedlings can be potted up into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on in pots until large enough, then plant out in early summer. When stored dry, the seed can remain viable for several years. Cuttings of mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September/October in a cold frame. Plant out in the following autumn. Layering in September/October. Takes 12 months.

Dry rocky soil, sterile pastures and fields.