Swietenia

Swietenia is a genus of tropical American trees in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Its three recognized species are prized for durable, workable timber known as mahogany.

Connect

Swietenia macrophylla: A large tropical tree native to Central and South America, widely known as big-leaf mahogany. This is the most widely traded Swietenia species and a major source of commercial mahogany.
Mahogany furniture: Furniture made from mahogany wood, valued for its rich color, stability, and workability. Cabinetmaking and fine furniture have been major uses of Swietenia timber.
Illegal logging: The harvesting or transport of timber in violation of laws and regulations. Illegal harvest has undermined protections for valuable Swietenia trees in parts of their range.
Honduran mahogany: A trade name commonly used for timber from Swietenia macrophylla. This commercial name reflects the species’ historical importance in Central American timber exports.
Swietenia mahagoni: A Caribbean and southern Florida tree known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany. Its valuable timber gave the genus an early reputation in Caribbean and European trade.
Shipbuilding: The construction of ships and boats from structural materials such as timber, steel, or composites. Mahogany’s durability and resistance to decay made it useful in historical ship interiors and fittings.
Deforestation: The removal of forest that converts land to non-forest uses. Forest clearing reduces and fragments the habitats where wild Swietenia grows.
Cuban mahogany: A trade name for timber from Swietenia mahagoni, historically prized for fine furniture. Its use in eighteenth-century European furniture helped establish mahogany’s prestige.
Swietenia humilis: A smaller mahogany tree native to dry forests of Central America and Mexico. Its dry-forest habitat and smaller stature distinguish it from the better-known big-leaf species.
Tropical timber trade: The international commerce in wood harvested from tropical forests. Demand for Swietenia timber has made the genus part of a broader tropical-wood trade.