Swietenia mahagoniWest Indian Mahogany

The Swietenia mahagoni, or West Indian Mahogany, is the tree that gave the timber its name, and it is a first-rate street tree quite apart from that history. A straight trunk carries a dense, symmetrical, spreading crown of pinnate leaves, and the brief dry-season leaf drop is followed almost immediately by a coppery-pink flush of new growth.

It takes shallow alkaline soil, salt-laden air and coastal wind, and it holds its structure in storms, which is why it lines streets and civic frontages right across the Caribbean and southern Florida.

Specifications

• Height10 to 20 metres, reaching 25 metres in the wild
• Width8 to 15 metres
• Native toSouthern Florida, the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles
• FoliagePinnate leaves with paired glossy leaflets; briefly deciduous in the dry season with a coppery-pink flush of new growth
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers well-drained soils and tolerates shallow, rocky, alkaline and saline ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and coastal regions

Additional Features

• FormStraight trunk carrying a dense, symmetrical, evenly spreading crown
• FlowersSmall fragrant greenish-yellow flowers in loose panicles
• UsesIdeal for street and avenue planting, park shade, and coastal and civic landscapes
• SpacingPlant 8 to 12 metres apart for streets and avenues
• Low MaintenanceNeeds formative pruning for a clear trunk and little else; the crown holds its shape well
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, with the mahogany webworm an occasional cosmetic nuisance
• Salt ToleranceTolerates salt-laden air and saline soils in coastal streets and frontages
• Seasonal AppealThe coppery-pink flush that follows the brief leaf drop is a distinct annual display

West Indian Mahogany is one of the most dependable coastal street trees available, combining shade, structure and storm resilience.