Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropicalhardwoodspecies of the genusSwietenia, indigenous to the Americas[1] and part of the pantropical chinaberry familyMeliaceae. Mahogany is used commercially for a wide variety of goods, due to its coloring and durable nature. It is naturally found within the Americas, but has also been imported to plantations across Asia and Oceania. The mahogany trade may have begun as early as the 16th century and flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. In certain countries, mahogany is considered an invasive species.