Mahagony / Honduras Mahogany
Swietenia macrophylla
Also known as Large-Leaved Mahagony
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- March-May
How to identify Mahagony
Identify Mahagony by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Large leaflets (Honduras mahogany).
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk).
- Confirm flower colour: White/cream.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: March-May.
- In India, compare location records such as Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and nearby regions.
- Confirm it sits within the Meliaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Mahagony.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Swietenia macrophylla
- Genus
- Swietenia
- Family
- Meliaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Native to
- Central America
- Found in India
- Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- March-May
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compound (leaflets in rows along a stalk)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mahagony itself; the rest are typical of the Meliaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White/creamrecorded
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Panicle
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Mahagony itself; the rest are typical of the Meliaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Tamil
- மகாகனி
- Malayalam
- mahagony, മഹാഗണി
About Mahagony
Honduras Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) belongs to the Meliaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, West Bengal, Karnataka and 8 other states. Flowering and fruiting run from March to May.
Uses
Locally it is cut for timber and furniture.
Meliaceae
Mahogany/Neem family
Mahagony belongs to the Meliaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Meliaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Mahagony or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides