Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout South Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia.

It is one of Australia's few native deciduous trees, with the leaves falling in autumn (late March) and growing back in spring (early September).

The fruits are green capsules which senesces to a brown colour and tear open into star shape to release seeds, which are small and winged.

[13] It grows best in an environment with high light levels, however in the relative darkness of the rainforest understorey, it is less susceptible to attack by the cedar tip moth.

As a result, successful planting of Toona ciliata is being observed in many parts of Brazil, including genetic improvement and clonal production.

[15] Heavily and unsustainably exploited in the 19th and early 20th centuries, almost all the large trees have been cut out and the species is essentially commercially extinct.

[citation needed] The red cedar is widely planted in subtropical and tropical parts of the world as a shade tree and for its fast-growing aspect.