Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) is one of the most valuable timber yielding species with predominant distribution in tropical or subtropical countries. Owing to its high economic value, this species was introduced into other tropical and subtropical regions in Australia, Africa and Latin America with a global area of planted teak forests reported from 70 countries estimated to be around 6.8 million ha. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies clarified that teak belonged to the family Lamiaceae with miocene origin around 21.4508 million years ago, and genetic diversity across the natural distribution zone indicated India to be the centre of diversity and probable area for origin. The wood of teak is moderately heavy, strong, tough, hard, straight-grained, coarse-textured and ring-porous, and wood anatomy shows a clear distinction between sapwood and heartwood. Teak flowers are protandrous and entomophilous having Ceratina sp. (a carpenter bee in the Anthophoridae) as an important pollinator of teak. The species is able to grow well under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Soil, pH, temperature, rainfall, texture, organic matter content and light play significant role in governing the growth and form of the species. As the old-growth, high-quality stands of natural teak forests are declining at an alarming rate mainly due to overexploitation (legal and illegal), agricultural expansion, shifting cultivation, population pressure and grazing, urgent steps are highly warranted to protect the existing genetic resources by strengthening forest governance, participatory forest management programmes and investigating silvicultural systems.