Cedrela

plant genus

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Last updated

July 16, 2026

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The genus Cedrela consists of large tropical American timber trees belonging to the mahogany family (Meliaceae). These trees are known for their aromatic wood, with Cedrela odorata, also called cigar-box cedar, being particularly prized. The wood is used for furniture and other ornamental purposes.123

Cedrela trees have bipinnate leaves and flowers with a 5-celled ovary that produces winged seeds. Other species, such as toon (C. toona) and C. sinensis, are cultivated as ornamentals. The genus is closely related to economically important timber trees that yield mahogany wood.132

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Meliaceae
Entandrophragma, and Cedrela (especially the Spanish cedar, C. odorata) are economically important timber trees and are valued as a source of mahogany wood. The neem tree, also called the margosa tree (Azadirachta indica), is grown throughout the Old World tropics, notably in India and Southeast Asia, and…
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Entandrophragma, and Cedrela (especially the Spanish cedar, C. odorata) are economically important timber trees and are valued as a source of mahogany wood. The neem tree, also called the margosa tree (Azadirachta indica), is grown throughout the Old World tropics, notably in India and Southeast Asia, and…
Read More