Mesua ferrea is a  40 m tall evergreen tree and a characteristic component of the tropical rainforest canopy of the Indo-Malayan region. The tree is distributed across the Indian Subcontinent to Indo-China and Malaysia within a elevation range of 100-1,200 m. The species has an extent of occurrence (EOO) of 10,885,026 km², but this is an underestimate as it based on an incomplete map. The species occurs in protected areas as well as outside but is restricted to remaining primary rainforest patches. The total population size is estimated to be ~36,900 mature individuals. The species has been extracted for its timber since the colonial period and the selective extraction for its wood has continued in this century. It is most affected by the clear felling of large tracts of rainforests across its distribution range, causing declines in mature individuals, habitat quality, area of occupancy and number of locations. It is suspected that the population size has been reduced by 40% over the past three generations and the causes of reduction is not reversible. There is continuing decline of the area of occupancy of the species due to forestry, industrial plantations, dams and reservoirs but the major threat is the selective extraction of old-growth trees for timber. The species has ecological importance for its characteristic niche in the canopy tree associations which support the tropical rainforest biome of the Indo-Malayan region. Awareness, consideration as an important key indicator of the biome for conservation and eco-restoration of tropical rainforests is required. Hence the species is assessed as Vulnerable (VU).

​​Mesua ferrea is distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia (Java), Malaysia, including Sarawak, and Viet Nam. The species is also native to southern China, where it grows naturally but has also been naturalised and planted in its native range.

Mesua ferrea is a large canopy tree of the tropical rainforest biome growing up to 40 m tall. There has been a decline in population and AOO in the past two centuries. The population estimate for the species is ~36,900 mature individuals with an abundance of 15-20 per ha within India. Globally, the population of the species is in decline due to its use for timber, and threats of land use change at many localities. Over the last three generations (estimated at 210 years) there is suspected to have been a decline in of at least 40% in the population.

Mesua ferrea is a large and dominant canopy tree of the tropical rainforest biome across the Indo Malayan region. This species is seen in primary tropical rainforests within an elevation of 100-1,200 m. It is associated with other tropical rainforest canopy trees such as Palaquium ellipticum, Calophyllum polyanthum and Vateria indica etc. The tree is characteristic of the dominant associations of the tropical primary rainforests, hence has great ecological value in maintaining the quality of the biome and providing niches for various sub-canopy species.

The selective felling and extraction of the tree for its timber is the major threat. The low and medium elevation forests are cleared on a large scale for timber and softwood plantations, dams and reservoir infrastructure development and agriculture. Being a characteristic tree species of the canopy associations of the tropical rainforest biome of the Indo-Malayan regime, the species has been one of the most extracted forest species.

The wood is used for heavy constructions (railway sleepers, posts, beams, rafters, joists, columns) and heavy duty flooring and furniture. The seed meal is used as fodder for its good protein and energy content.

The species is one of most dominant and characteristic canopy trees of the tropical rainforest biome and hence most affected with forest conversion, clear felling and timber extraction. There have been no site-specific conservation plans or actions so far except planting in ex situ conservatories. The species needs to be considered as an important element in the restoration and monitoring of degraded tropical rainforest biomes. Awareness, conservation plans and eco-restoration actions are necessary considering its ecological significance. The species is known from protected areas and the species is considered not threatened in Sri Lanka (BGCI 2023).