Chinese Laurel is a native small evergreen tree in Hong Kong, commonly found in lowland to mid-altitude sparse woodlands, village edges, and fung shui woods. It prefers sunny environments but is also slightly shade-tolerant. This species is dioecious, and relies on pollen transfer between individuals to complete pollination.

Its densely clustered small male flowers have an unpleasant odour which attract small insects like flies, while its fruits are consumed by birds. As the fruit simultaneously tastes sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty, Chinese Laurel is also known as the "Five-Flavour Fruit" (五味子) in Chinese.