A small to large sized tree with an open crown, the Pink Mempat can reach a height of 45 metres, but in Singapore parks and gardens, it is 10 m or shorter. It is native to Singapore and can also be found in Indo-china, Sumatra, West Malaysia and the Philippines. Its natural habitat are primary or secondary forests, river edges, swamps, with clay or sandy soils, up to 1,200 m altitude.

The tree is treasured for its beautiful light pink flowers, which are said to resemble that of cherry blossoms. For this it is widely used as a landscape tree in Singapore.

The Pink Mempat blooms seasonally, usually after a prolonged dry spell followed by heavy rain. Around these times, the tree may shed its leaves, replacing its crown with a vivid display of faintly fragrant flowers. The flowers are found in clusters of 1 to 6, in the axils of fallen leaves or on bare twigs. In streets lined with Pink Mempat trees, the synchronous flowering produces a beautiful scene akin to autumn.

Its bark is grey and scaly. The plant is easy to spot when its crown is covered with the light pink flowers amidst the new foliage.  Its new leaves have reddish-pink leaf blades that mature to green above and greenish below.

Its dark brown fruits are ellipsoid, 10–19 by 4–6 mm, and split open into three parts when ripe to release the winged seeds.

Apart from its beauty as a landscape tree, the Pink Mempat is also valued for its wood known as derum, which has applications in carving, charcoal, firewood, furniture, house construction, poles and turnery.

It is also the preferred local food plant for caterpillars of the archduke (Lexias pardalis dirteana). The adult of the archduke lays its eggs singly on the undersides of leaves of the host plant.