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Mahogany consists of three species in the same genus in the Meliaceae family – bigleaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), Pacific coast mahogany (S. humilis), and Caribbean mahogany (S. mahagoni). Mahogany is native to the Caribbean and Central and South American lowland tropical or subtropical forests where rainfall averages between 1 and 2.5 meters. It is a strong, hard wood with a red hue and fine grain pattern, making it ideal for use in furniture, doors, paneling, musical instruments, ships, caskets, veneer, and plywood. Due to strong demand for the wood of these relatively slow-growing trees, all three species have been listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Caribbean and Pacific coast mahoganies supplied the world's markets for quality wood for centuries, but the two species are no longer commercially logged and are considered commercially extinct throughout much of their ranges. By the time Caribbean and Pacific coast mahoganies were listed in Appendix II of CITES, commercial trade no longer occurred. The recent Appendix-II listing of bigleaf mahogany, the only species left in commercial trade, is intended to ensure that trade in that species is based on sustainable harvest and to address the threats of unregulated trade and illegal harvest. The listing is limited to logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets, and plywood, not other parts, derivatives, and products, such as furniture.

The listing of bigleaf mahogany includes only populations in the Neotropics. Therefore, bigleaf mahogany grown on plantations outside of the Neotropics is not regulated under CITES. The Dutch started plantations in Indonesia more than 100 years ago. Today most plantations are in Indonesia and Fiji. Historically, plantation-grown wood has not been common in trade.

The listed American mahoganies of the genus Swietenia should not be confused with other tree species with reddish wood that are commonly called "mahogany." Philippine mahogany is a name given to some of the different species of Shorea that grow in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. African mahogany refers to several species of Khaya that grow throughout West Africa. Santos mahogany (Myroxylon balsamum) ranges from southern Mexico to Argentina. None of these "mahoganies" are listed in the CITES Appendices.