The ripe fruits of the sun-loving Lipstick Tree are usually bright to deep red, though there are also rarer, pale yellowish and green fruiting plants, yet all fruits turn brown when ripening and are dark brown after having expelled their seeds.

These seeds have a reddish membrane that yields a yellow to orange or red dye, which is used in numerous commercial and industrial processes, e.g. to make lipstick and as a food additive for rice, as well as cheese.