"Mahogany" — One Name, Many Species

Home » Knowledge Base » Knowledge Base Article





	Today's Sponsors: Schultz Forming Products Scientific Dust Collectors SCM Group USA, Inc. SCM Group SCM SDN Contracting Seagrave Coatings Corporation Sears Trostel Lumber Co. Shade Dri Sherburne Machine Development Shomaker Lumber Company ShopBot SII Dry Kilns Silvaris Simantech SIS Machinery Nebraska Tool NEMI New England Kiln Drying Association Newman Whitney Norment and Lambert North Pacific Lumber Northtech Machinery NPO BARS Nydree Flooring Nyle Dry Kiln Systems O'Shea Lumber Company Old Mississippi Brick and Heart Pine Company OMGA, Inc. Omnitech Systems Onsrud Cutter Opti-Sand Original Saw Company Osolnik Machinery & Supplies Paul Saws and Systems People Logic Software Corp. Peter Meier Inc. Pinske Edge Pioneer Lumber Company Planit Solutions Inc. plastiMACH Plogic Solutions Ltd. Pond Cove Paint Porter-Cable Precision Drive Systems Precision Saw Sharpeners Premium Specialty Hardwoods Pricecutter.com Prime Estimating and Software Services, LLC Pro.Woodworker.com Professional Hardware & Supply Co. Q1 Machinery Quality VAKuum Products, Inc. Quick Machinery Company Quickscrews International Corporation QuickScribe QuickWood QuikDrawers Quis Machinery R&R Drummond, Inc. R.A.W. R.D. Billhofer Company Rangate Rawles-Aden Lumber Corp. RazorGage Reliance Building Products Restoration Specialists Rex Lumber Company Riethmiller Lumber Ritter Manufacturing Inc. Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Roger Shaw and Associates Rose Machinery Routech Royce Ayr Cutting Tools RT Machine Co. Safe Passage Consulting Safety Speed Cut Sand-Rite Manufacturing Sandman Products Saw Trax Mfg. Sawmill and Woodlot Magazine Schmalz, Inc.

WOODWEB DISCLAIMS any and all RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY for the accuracy and application of the information below. Readers agree to evaluate the significance and limitations of the information provided, and accept full responsibility for the application of this information. Read More ...

Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?

"Mahogany" — One Name, Many Species

Here's a rundown on the official species names of the many different trees whose wood is sold as "mahogany".March 29, 2006

Question
I have some lumber that I'm told is African Mahogany (Khaya). I see other species of Mahogany being sold on the web, specifically Santos, Caribbean, and Honduras. Are these all different species?

Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From Gene Wengert, technical advisor:
Yes, they are different.
African mahogany is in the KHAYA genus.
Honduras mahogany (sometimes called genuine or true mahogany) is SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA.
Santos mahogany (also called balsamo) is MYROXYLON BALSAMUM.
Philippine mahogany is in the SHOREA genus.
Brazilian mahogany is PLATHYMENIA RETICULATA.
Hawaiian mahogany (also called koa) is ACACIA KOA.
American mahogany (also called Kentucky coffee tree) is GYMNOCLADUS DIOICUS.
Caribbean mahogany, which is extremely rare and should not be harvested or used as such usage will encourage harvesting and the end of this species, is SWIETENIA MAHOGANI.

From the original questioner:
I hope you never plan on retiring, Gene. I hope you had to look that up, as nobody should store all that stuff in their head. Thanks again, for the excellent response.

From Gene Wengert, technical advisor:
Thanks for your comments. Actually, I did have to look up the spelling. Perhaps you know that I have a photographic memory...the only problem is that I ran out of film 30 years ago. Or maybe it was 40? Actually, I write an article for FDM magazine every month that describes a different species and I had just done several of the mahoganies, so it was fairly fresh in my mind.

From contributor A:
I am curious about the reasons for calling Kentucky Coffeetree "American Mahogany". There's not much about that wood that I would identify with other mahogany I have seen, except maybe its color. The grain reminds me more of ash than the fine grain I expect for mahogany. Maybe my experience with other mahoganies is just limited.

Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?

KnowledgeBase: Knowledge Base

KnowledgeBase: Lumber and Plywood

KnowledgeBase: Lumber & Plywood: Wood Identification

Would you like to add information to this article? ... Click Here

If you have a question regarding a Knowledge Base article, your best chance at uncovering an answer is to search the entire Knowledge Base for related articles or to post your question at the appropriate WOODWEB Forum. Before posting your message, be sure to review our Forum Guidelines.

Questions entered in the Knowledge Base Article comment form will not generate responses! A list of WOODWEB Forums can be found at WOODWEB's Site Map.

When you post your question at the Forum, be sure to include references to the Knowledge Base article that inspired your question. The more information you provide with your question, the better your chances are of receiving responses.

Return to beginning of article.

Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy

Letters, questions or comments? E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site.

To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster

Copyright © 1996-2008 - WOODWEB ® Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor.
Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy.

The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.

WOODWEB, Inc.
RR4 Box 265A
Montrose, PA 18801

Contact WOODWEB