Common Name: Big Leaf Mahogany

General Information

Big leaf mahogany is a slow-growing, very large, evergreen or briefly deciduous tree with an open, rounded crown. It usually reaches a height of 30 - 40 metres, but specimens up to 60 metres tall can be found in favourable conditions[, ]. The bole is straight and cylindrical with a buttressed base - it usually has a diameter of 100 - 120cm, but in exceptional conditions up to 280cm has been recorded[, ].
A very well-known and valuable timber, mahogany is regarded as the world’s finest timber for high-class furniture and cabinet work. The tree has been heavily exploited within its native range, becoming virtually extinct in some areas, with populations everywhere in steep decline[]. It is now cultivated in plantations in many parts of the tropics[]. It is planted as an ornamental lawn tree in peninsular Malaysia[].
The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2010)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia and Peru, north through Central America to Mexico.

Habitat

Found in all forest types, from the edge of the pine savannah to the climax rainforest, but mostly in mixed hardwood forest belts, along riverbanks, on deep alluvial soils of considerable fertility[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	35.00 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the wet tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,500 metres, but grows best below 600 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 11 - 39°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 2,000 - 4,000mm, but tolerates 1,400 - 6,000mm[].
Young trees require at least light shade and are fairly tolerant to dense shade, but conditions for optimum growth of older trees call for full overhead light combined with side protection[, ]. Grows best on well-drained, fertile sites with medium to heavy soils[, ]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8.5[]. The tree is reported to be very firm in the wind, and resistant to cyclones[].
The species has some weed potential and may invade native forest communities, especially following disturbance. It should not be planted in close proximity to areas of high nature conservation significance[].
Flowering and fruiting are distinctly seasonal. Fruit may be produced once a year, and trees start to produce fruit regularly when about 15 years old. Seeds have a thin, tail-like wing that makes them rotate when they fall; they are thus dispersed by wind as far as 500 metres from the parent tree[].
In natural stands it is beneficial to open the canopy over dense, young regeneration in which saplings are about 1.8 metres high[]. In plantation forestry, the tree has always been planted at 10 x 3 metres (333 stems/ha), because it requires large amounts of light. Plantations established at such wide spacing rarely need thinning unless selectively to remove diseased stems. The tree is self-pruning and further pruning is not necessary[]. When grown for timber, The tree has a rotation age of 30 - 35 years, with a final stocking rate of 150 - 250 stems/ha[].
This species hybridizes with S. macrophylla and S. Mahagoni. Hybridization has been confirmed by cytological studies[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Various medicinal uses of parts of the tree are reported from Central America[].

The bark is astringent, bitter and febrifuge[]. An infusion is used to treat diarrhoea and fevers[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Within its native range, big leaf mahogany is among the pioneer species that reoccupy degraded agricultural land. It has been used in reforestation projects and has proved to be suitable in areas not protected from grazing[].
It is used as a shade tree, for example, for cacao, coffee and young plantations of dipterocarps[, ].
When young, it can be used as an under-crop for teak (Tectona grandis), where its ability to facilitate heavy thinning of the latter without exposing the soil to the risk of serious desiccation and erosion, is quite promising and worth great consideration[]. In Puerto Rico, farmers have planted it among subsistence crops such as corn, beans, bananas, sweet potatoes and cassava[].
The crushed fruit shells have been used as a potting medium[, ].

Other Uses

A gum is produced from cuts in the bark[, ]. It is marketed in both pure form and mixed with other gums[].

The bark is used for dyeing and tanning leather[, ].

An oil, which is very bitter and purgative, can be extracted from the seed kernels[]. It might be of some commercial value[, ].

The heartwood is reddish, pinkish, salmon coloured, or yellowish when fresh; deepening with age to deep rich red or brown; it is distinctly demarcated from theup to 40mm wide band of yellowish or whitish sapwood. The lustre is high and golden; the texture rather fine to coarse; the grain straight to roey, wavy, or curly, often with an attractive figure[]. The dense wood is of medium weight, it is reasonably durable, but it is not considered suitable for applications in contact with the ground. It seasons well, without much checking or distortion. The wood is easy to work using hand tools; it finishes to a smooth surface; gluing and nailing properties are good, but discoloration in contact with iron, copper and brass may occur under humid conditions; it acquires a good polish and does not crack or bend, making it valuable in the manufacture of quality furniture. The attractive wood is particularly valued for high-class furniture and cabinet work, it has also been used in interior panelling, joinery work, turnery, plywood and heavy construction work. Its outstanding technical qualities make it particularly suitable for precision woodwork such as models and patterns, instrument cases, clocks, printer’s blocks and parts of musical instruments[, , , , ]. Veneer quality is limited by colour variation, wavy grain, pin knots and pinhole borer damage[].

Propagation

Seed - no pre-treatment is required, but stored seed will germinate more rapidly if soaked in warm water for 12 hours prior to sowing[]. Seed can be sown in nursery beds or containers, covering the seed with 3cm of soil[]. Germination of fresh seed normally commences 10 - 17 days after sowing, and the germination rate is high at over 90%[]. The seedlings are kept under shade until planting out, which can take place when they are about 50 - 100 cm tall[].
Viability can be maintained for at least 1 year in hermetic storage. No loss in viability occurs after storage for 7 months at 12°c, but only 2.5% of seeds germinated following 2 years of hermetic storage with dry seeds at 3 -5°c[].

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