Wood Species Guide

Florida Mahogany

Swietenia mahagoni

Also called: West Indies Mahogany, Cuban Mahogany, Caribbean Mahogany, Small-leaf Mahogany, Jamaican Mahogany, Caoba, Madeira (old Florida Keys name)

Florida mahogany, also called West Indies or Cuban mahogany, is the original mahogany of colonial furniture fame and grows wild in the Florida Keys. Salvaged landscape trees give us rare local slabs with deep reddish color.

DomesticFloridaHardwoodMahoganies

Good forTabletops & Slabs CITES-Restricted

What Florida Mahogany looks like

Heartwood starts a pinkish or salmon tan and deepens over time to a rich reddish brown. Sapwood is a pale yellow-white and clearly set apart. Some logs show ribbon or mottled figure that shimmers as you move around the board.

Grain and texture

Grain is straight to interlocked with a fine to medium texture and a natural luster. Pores are open but small. Interlocked areas produce the ribbon stripe mahogany is famous for.

Working Florida Mahogany: planing, cutting and gluing

Generally a pleasure to work, cutting and shaping cleanly with sharp tools. Interlocked grain can tear out on the planer, so take light passes or use a helical head. It glues, turns and carves well.

Finishing Florida Mahogany: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Takes oil and film finishes beautifully, and a hardwax oil brings up the chatoyance. Grain filling before a high-gloss finish gives the classic piano-smooth look. It pairs well with epoxy, but seal the surface first so the open pores do not release bubbles during a pour.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Heartwood is durable and fairly resistant to decay, with good resistance to termites compared to most furniture woods. It is very stable once dry and holds its shape well through Florida's humid summers. Still, acclimate it indoors and finish both faces of a slab.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

Most Florida mahogany we see comes from landscape trees that came down in storms or were removed, not from a forest. Slabs from yard trees often have bark inclusions, branch knots and color swings that make great character tables. Because it is stable and works so easily, it is a good choice for a first live-edge build. If you want classic mahogany color without a long wait, an oil finish and some sunlight will deepen it fast.

Common uses for Florida Mahogany

Fine furniture, cabinetry, boatbuilding, carving, turning, live-edge tables and veneer.

Sustainability and CITES status

Listed in CITES Appendix II, so international trade in logs, lumber and veneer needs permits. The IUCN lists it as Endangered. In Florida it is a state-listed Threatened plant. Salvaged local trees are the most responsible way to use it.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating LowWhat the ratings mean

Skin irritation
Respiratory / asthma

Severe reactions are uncommon. Some people report skin irritation, and mahogany dust has been tied to occasional allergy and airway problems.

In the shop: Dust collection and a mask when sanding
Food contact: Use with care for cutting boards, bowls and utensils

General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.

Reported as a skin irritant in some people, though severe reactions are uncommon. Use dust control when sanding.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared