The timber of trees of the genus is sold under the common names lauan, luan, lawaan, meranti, seraya, balau, bangkirai, and Philippine mahogany.

[2] The tallest documented tropical angiosperm is a 100.8 m (331 ft) Shorea faguetiana found in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, in Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo).

In Sabah's Tawau Hills National Park, at least five other species of the genus have been measured to be over 80 m (260 ft) tall: S. argentifolia, S. gibbosa, S. johorensis, S. smithiana, and S. superba.

[10] Shorea fossils (linked with the modern sal, S. robusta, which is still a dominant tree species in Indian forests) are known from as early as the Eocene of Gujarat, India.

[13] Some concerns exist regarding the IUCN's listing of dipterocarps, as the criteria used to assess the level of threat are based mainly on animal population characteristics.

They are sold under various trade names including "lauan", "lawaan", "meranti", "seraya", "balau", "bangkirai", and "Philippine mahogany".

Shorea wiesneri is listed in many websites as an important source of dammar;[14] however, this appears to be either a trade name or a synonym.