mahogany

An evergreen tree (Swietenia mahogani) native to Central America and the Caribbean Is; leaves pinnate; flowers 5-petalled, yellowish, in loose clusters. It is one of several timbers commercially called mahogany, a reddish wood of high quality, heavy, hard, and easily worked. (Family: Meliaceae.)

This article refers to the timber only.

The name mahogany was first used for wood of Swietenia mahagoni, sometimes referred to as Spanish or Cuban mahogany, later also for the wood of the closely related Swietenia macrophylla, sometimes referred to as Honduras mahogany.

The name "mahogany" is also widely used for that of the African genus Khaya (closely related to Swietenia), more correctly African mahogany.

Used in the plural, "mahoganies" may refer to the wider group of all the timbers yielded by the three related genera Swietenia, Khaya and Entandrophragma. The timbers of Entandrophragma are traded under their individual names, sometimes with "mahogany" attached: for example "sipo" may sometimes be called "sipo mahogany"

In addition the timber trade deals with many so-called "mahoganies" with various adjectives attached, notably "Philippine mahogany".

Mahogany is a very popular material for drum making, because of its great integrity and capability to produce a very dark, warm tone compared to other more common wood types like maple or birch. Today, several drum manufacturers have rediscovered the features of mahogany shells, resulting in several high end series offering shells made in this wood.