Meliaceae
Lovoa swynnertonii
Brown mahogany
T
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Lovoa swynnertonii is a large evergreen tree, reaching up to 50 metres in height, characterised by a straight, fluted or slightly buttressed trunk that can extend 30 metres before branching. Its bark is brown-grey to black and flakes off in round pieces. The tree features compound leaves with 10–16 oblong-elliptic leaflets, small white flowers in axillary panicles, and woody capsules containing winged seeds. Its timber is a valued grey-brown to dark brownish-red heartwood, durable and insect-resistant, though often cross-grained and difficult to work.
Where it works in Kilifi
This species thrives in well-drained slopes with sandy or loamy soils and requires high annual rainfall (1,200–2,450 mm), making it suitable for wet tropical regions like the Kenya Coast. As a canopy/emergent tree, it provides extensive cool shade for agroforestry systems, suitable for intercropping with shade-tolerant crops or as a specimen tree in large landscapes.
Growing notes
Lovoa swynnertonii matures in approximately 30 years. It prefers moist lowland and mid-altitude tropical conditions with stable, high humidity. Plantations have historically been unsuccessful due to infestations by the mahogany shoot borer, Hypsipyla.
Sources
Researched with web grounding from: grokipedia.com, worldagroforestry.org, jstor.org, theferns.info, wikipedia.org. Please verify with local knowledge before relying on these notes.