Cedrela odorata aka Cigar Box Cedar

Cedrela odorata, or Spanish cedar, belongs to the mahogany family, Meliaceae. Its native range spans Mexico, the Caribbean, and tropical South America. It grows in wet lowland forests and lower mountain forests. These include old forests and sites where trees have grown back. Kew also places it in the seasonally dry tropics. People grow it for timber and plant it beside roads and in parks.

This fast-growing tree sheds its leaves and forms a broad crown. One garden reference gives a height and spread of 98 feet [30 metres]. Other accounts give heights of 98–131 feet [30–40 metres]. Rare trees reach 164 feet [50 metres]. Its straight trunk can reach 2–4 feet [0.6–1.2 metres] across. Some trunks lack branches for 49–79 feet [15–24 metres]. Buttress roots can rise 4–12 feet [1.2–3.6 metres] up the trunk. The bark has a scent. Each tree bears both male and female flowers, and bees pollinate them.

Give this tree sun and soil that drains well. It prefers rich, slightly acid soil but also tolerates clay and calcium-rich ground. Sources also report growth in neutral, alkaline, and salty soils. Moist soil suits it, though a dry season does not harm established trees. Flooding and waterlogged soil do not suit it. It grows best in warm tropical conditions. PFAF lists USDA zones 9–12. It can withstand strong winds, but not exposed coastal sites.

Its wide crown gives shade, and growers also use it for windbreaks. As a long-lived pioneer tree, it has value in forest restoration. The scented timber resists termites and decay. People use it for furniture, musical instruments, veneer, and doors. Bark supplies fibre for twine. Heavy logging has made large wild trees scarce. Useful Tropical Plants reports an Endangered listing from the 2009 IUCN assessment. PFAF flags weed potential and notes a risk of insect attack under some growing methods.

PFAF reports that people eat the young leaves. It also records folk uses of bark and leaves for fever, pain, and sores. Some preparations have been used to induce abortion. These records do not establish safe home use. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known hazards, but provides no detailed safety assessment.