[1] They are evergreen or dry-season deciduous trees with pinnate leaves, native to the tropical and subtropical New World, from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina.

[2][3] On 28 October 2022, all Neo-tropic Cedrela species were added to CITES Appendix II.

C. angustifolia and C. montana occur at higher altitudes in moister conditions, and are evergreen or only briefly deciduous.

Cedrela odorata is a timber tree that produces a lightweight, fragrant wood with resistance to wood-boring insects (e.g., termites) and is also rot-resistant.

[5] It is also grown as an ornamental tree, and has become naturalized in some areas in Africa, southeast Asia and Hawaii.