An impressive ornamental tree, also known, confusingly, as Chinese Mahogany or Chinese Cedar. Introduced 1862.

Native to China, the Indian subcontinent, and south-east Asia.

Monoecious and duodichogamous, a rare system where different sexed flowers are produced in separate phases: male-female-male. Insect-pollinated. Wind-dispersed. Spreads by suckering.

Medium (28m), buttressed to 1m. Bark grey, fissured, peeling in strips to reveal pink inner bark, onion-scented when damaged. Twigs sparse, pale orange; buds green. Leaves very large (70cm), soon glabrous, compound pinnate with 8-20 opposite leaflet pairs usually lacking a terminal leaflet, emerging pink then green, strongly onion-scented. Flowers white, fragrant, in pendulous plumes (50cm) in midsummer. Seed capsules golden, woody (3cm), with several winged seeds.

Fast-growing and tolerant of many soils, dislikes shade. Hardy to -10°C. Soil disturbance tends to trigger suckering, commonly a problem when planted in lawns or flowerbeds. The cultivar ‘Flamingo’ flushes with vivid pink foliage.

No notable associations where introduced.

Generally healthy.

Ornamental. Young leaves have an onion flavour, used extensively in Chinese cuisine, both as a salad leaf, and ground into toona paste. Timber is hard with red colouration, valued in its native range.