 Hummingbirds are attracted by its flowers and other birds feed on the fruit, both of which will also forage on small insects found in the vicinity, helping to keep down pests.These flowers are also fed on by butterflies, such as the statira sulphur ("Aphrissa statira"), which are attracted to red flowering plants.The fruits have a refreshing, acidic taste and are also edible by humans; in Mexico, they are made into a fermented drink.