The Forest Natal Mahogany is an evergreen tree with a dense, spreading crown consisting of very dark green leaves. This tree usually grows up to 30 metres tall, it is a common in high rainfall areas with a warm climate such as KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the North West Province.

Trichilia drageana’s grey bark has a smooth texture which often gets rough and segmented around the base of the main stem. This beautiful tree bears large creamy velvety white flowers which are sweetly scented from October to November. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and the seeds are edible and much loved by birds. After flowering, pinkish green fruits appear on the tree in form of capsules which split to reveal large black scarlet seeds.

In landscapes, the forest Natal Mahogany is grown as a specimen or avenue tree. It makes a very beautiful indoor container plant and is also ideal for planting in a forest garden. Because of its maturity size, Trichilia drageana is best suited for large gardens. It can tolerate both high or low light conditions and is thus versatile in the garden setting.