Mahogany

This large, semi-evergreen tree forms a loose, rounded canopy and casts light, dappled shade, suitable for maintaining a lawn beneath. It is one of south Florida's popular landscape and street trees.

 

Mahogany can reach 75 feet in height with a 50-foot-spread but is more often seen at 40 to 60 feet tall and wide. The dense, strong wood of mahogany is quite resistant to wind-damage on properly trained trees, making this tree all the more ideal for use as a shade tree or street tree.

 

Trees planted along streets or in medians will form a beautiful canopy overhead. The five-inch-long, brown, woody fruit capsules hang from slender, fuzzy stalks in winter and split while still on the tree when ripe to release winged seeds.

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It is native to islands in the West Indies including the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands and Hispaniola (in the Dominican Republic and Haiti), but has widely been introduced to the rest of the Caribbean islands. It is also native to South Florida in the United States, representing the northernmost point of its range.