FNPS Plant Database

Swietenia mahagoni

West Indian mahogany
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

West Indian mahogany

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Swietenia mahagoni

Family:

Meliaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

30–70 (80) ft tall by 40–60 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

green

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Briefly deciduous. Inconspicuous flowers in spring. Fruits ripen late-summer - fall. Life span 100+ years (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Aroma/Showy Fruitsagrance, Hurricane Wind Resistance, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Street tree. Yard and park shade tree.

Considerations:

Availability:

Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Adaptable

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies

Attracts a diverse community of small butterflies and moths. Many species of ants, thrips, small beetles, flies, bees, and wasps also visit flowers, many of these feeding on the basal nectary.

Native Habitats:

Tropical rockland hammock, coastal hammocks

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

This is the original source of commercial mahogany, now replaced by Honduras mahogany (S. Macrophylla). It was heavily logged in South Florida prior to the 1900s.

General Comments:

Listed as Threatened by the Florida FDACS. Host plant for mahogony mistletoe,Phoradendron rubrum, which is listed as Endangered by the Florida FDAS. There are reports that this tree is becoming invasive in southern Florida in some areas beyond its natural range.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). West Indian Mahogany, Cuban Mahogany [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Swiemaha ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Norghauer, J.M., A.R. Martin, E.E. Mycroft, A. James, and S.C. Thomas. (2011). Island invasion by a threatened tree species: evidence for natural enemy release of mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla ) on Dominica, Lesser Antilles. PloS one, 6(4), e18790. ( https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018790 ). Accessed 2026.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Plants for a Future (Undated). Swietenia mahagoni Mahogany. ( https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Swietenia+mahagoni ). Accessed 2026. Plants for a Future, Exeter, Devon, UK.


UF/IFAS Center for Land Use Efficiency. (Undated). Mahogany. ( https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/mahogany/ ). Accessed 2026. Center for Land Use Efficiency, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Watkins, John, and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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