Swietenia mahagoni
Swietenia mahagoni
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
A plant of the moist to humid tropics, where it is found at elevations from 50 - 1,500 metres[1]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 24 - 32°c, but can tolerate 16 - 36°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 800 - 2,500mm[2]. The best development of the trees has been observed in areas receiving the lower rainfall range of 1,000 - 1,500 mm, in localities not far from the sea, and at elevations near sea level[1]. Young plants grow best in dappled shade, requiring more light as they grow larger[1]. The plant thrives best on deep, rich soil and avoids stiff, heavy soils in the wild; well-drained sandy soils are best[1]. It is a complete failure in dry localities and poor soils[1]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 8[2]. Young trees have straight and slender stems, and branches are formed 2 - 3 metres above the ground with a position oblique to the main stem. Initial growth is fast, depending on site conditions[3]. Flowering and fruiting are regular and annual, varying according to climate but taking place shortly before the rainy season. The tree fruits well and produces fertile seeds, sometimes as early as at 20 years of age, although usually it does not seed until it is 30-40 years old[1]. Seed production varies according to site and year[1]. This species hybridizes with S. Macrophylla and S. Mahagoni. Hybridization has been confirmed by cytological studies[1].
Propagation
Seed - it has a short viability and is best sown as soon as ripe[1]. Sow in a nursery seedbed with some overhead shade. The seed wing should be broken, since this facilitates germination[1]. Healthy seeds start germinating about 15 days after sowing[3]. When the seedlings are 3 - 4 weeks old, remove the overhead shade, giving only lateral shade[3]. In Java and Haiti, where abundant natural regeneration is found under trees and in the vicinity of almost all the older plantations, most farmers use wildlings for planting material[1]. Without any special treatment, seeds lose much of their viability in 3 months and almost entirely in 6 months[1]. Dried in the sun and sealed in airtight containers, they remain fairly viable for over 6 months[1]. Viability can be maintained in hermetic air-dry storage at room temperature for 1 year[1]. Cuttings from plants up to 3 years old are usua;;y successful, but do not work well from older plants[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Swietenia+mahagoni>
Pollinators
Bees, Moths, Thrips
References
- [1]World Agroforesty Centre — http://www.worldagroforestry.org/ ↩︎An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.
- [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [3]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [4]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [5]Flowering Plants of Jamaica — Adams. C.D. · University of the West Indies; Jamaica. · 1972 ↩︎A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
- [6]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region