Virginia Tech Dendrology

West Indies mahogany Meliaceae Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq. symbol: SWMA2
Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound, 6 to 12 ovate leaflets, entire margins, evergreen, leathery, 5 to 7 inches long, dark green above, paler below.
Flower: Small pale green, in branched cluster.
Fruit: Light brown, egg-shaped capsule, 2 to 4 inches long, splits from the base into 5 parts, each capsule contains numerous small, long winged seeds.
Twig: Stout, reddish brown to gray; buds are large and broad with loose reddish scales.
Bark: At first smooth and gray, later becoming darker gray, rough and scaly, shedding in places to reveal lighter reddish patches.
Form: Large tree with a spreading round crown and a short trunk, up to 50 feet tall.

Additional Range Information: Swietenia mahagoni is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Wood
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information