West Indian Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni) is a grand tree with a broad, dense symmetrical crown and a straight trunk often buttressed and swollen at the base. It has the potential to get 75 ft (22.9 m) tall with a trunk diameter in excess of 2 ft (0.6 m), but such large trees are very rare. Most mahoganies are no more than 30-40 ft (9.1-12.2 m) tall with 20-30 ft (6.1-9.1 m) canopy spreads. Mahogany is a semi-deciduous tree which loses its old leaves at the end of winter just as the new growth is beginning. It may be leafless for only a week or two. The leaves of mahogany are unique among North American native trees: They are even-pinnate compound, with three or four pairs of asymmetric leaflets and no leaflet at the tip. The newly unfolding leaves are reddish purple, soon turning to yellowish green. Mahogany produces small, fragrant, rather inconspicuous flowers on the year’s new growth as the leaves are emerging, and both male and female flowers are produced on the same tree. The conspicuous fruits are woody five-lobed capsules, about 5 in (12.7 cm) long. They persist on the branchlets until leaf fall the following spring, when they split open to release the abundant seeds. The seeds are winged with papery vanes, about 2 in (5.1 cm) long, and dispersed by wind.
There are three species in the genus Swietenia, all native to the New World tropics.
- Swietenia humilis - Pacific Coast Mahogany. Pacific coast of Central America and Mexico.
- Swietenia macrophylla - Honduras Mahogany. Atlantic coast of Central America, South America south to Bolivia.
- Swietenia mahagoni - West Indian Mahogany. Caribbean, southern Florida.
The three species are poorly defined biologically, in part because they hybridise freely.
Mahogany is a popular avenue, shade and framing tree. It often is used in parks and commercial landscapes, and around parking lots. On streets they usually are planted about 30 ft (9.1 m) apart. Mahogany casts only a light shadow and doesn’t discourage grass and other plantings beneath it. West Indies mahogany is renowned for its ability to withstand strong winds, and it is moderately tolerant of salt spray and salty soils. It’s a good large shade or specimen tree for coastal (but not fully exposed to the sea) landscapes.
The wood of mahogany is one of the most valuable cabinet woods of any tree. West Indies mahogany was the original mahogany shipped back to Europe beginning in the 16th century. (Today most mahogany wood comes from S. macrophylla, Honduras mahogany, a larger tree which is widespread in Central and South American tropical forests.) The wood of mahogany is hard and reddish in color. Chippendale and Hepplewhite cabinets made from mahogany in the mid-1700’s are worth small fortunes today.
All species of Swietenia are CITES-listed. Swietenia timber that crosses a border needs its paperwork in order. International environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Rainforest Action Network have focused on Swietenia so as to expose illegal traffic in the wood, notably from Brazil.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Sapindales
Family : Meliaceae
Genus : Swietenia
Species : Swietenia mahagoni
Pronunciation/Meaning:
- Meliaceae (me-lee-AY-see-ay) - The Melia family (from the Greek name for Ash, due to the similarity of the leaves.
- Swietenia (swee-TEEN-ee-uh) - Named for Gerard van Swieten, 18th century Dutch botanist and physician to the Empress Maria Theresa.
- mahagoni (mah-HAH-go-nye) - Mahogany.
Common Names:
- West Indian Mahogany, American Mahogany, Cuban Mahogany, Small-Leaved Mahogany
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