The heartwood of Cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

BOTANICAL NAME: 

Prunus serotina

ORIGIN: 

North America - throughout the Midwestern and Eastern United States.  The primary commercial areas include Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Average tree height is 60 to 80 feet. Cherry trees can live to the extreme ages of 150 to 200 years.

COMMON NAMES: 

American Cherry, Wild Cherry, Whiskey Cherry, North American Cherry, American Black Cherry, Black Cherry

JANKA HARDNESS:

950

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Above average - Change Coefficient .00248 - 33% more stable than Northern Red Oak.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE: 

Readily available - 3.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

INTERESTING FACTS: 

American Colonists used the cherry tree for its fruit, medicinal properties and home furnishings. They mixed cherry juice with rum to create Cherry Bounce, a bitter but highly favored cordial. The bark was used in the production of drugs to treat bronchitis, and cherry stalks were used to make tonics. Early printmakers used cherry for their engraving blocks.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: 

Prized for its rich color and fine graining, American cherry is commonly seen in cabinetry and furniture. The fine, satiny texture of the wood is uniform and frequently wavy, with distinctive gum veins and pockets. The lustrous heartwood ranges from light to dark reddish brown, contrasting sharply with the sapwood, which may be light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone; however, between boards there may be significant color variations. Cherry is extremely light-sensitive, so there is a strong color change and darkening over a short period of time when the wood is first exposed to light.

COLOR CHANGE: 

North American Cherry undergoes an extreme degree of color change with pronounced darkening from a pale pink color when fresh milled to a dark reddish color when fully aged. This process occurs within a few weeks in direct sunlight and by oxidation, out of sunlight, over a six to eight month period.

MAIN USES: 

Second only to black walnut in value as a fine hardwood species, cherry is commonly found in fine furniture, veneers, and wood flooring borders and accents. It is also used for printing and engraving blocks, professional and scientific instruments, and decorative items.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

A strong but moderately hard wood with excellent shock resistance, American cherry is generally considered too soft for an entire floor; mainly it is found in borders and accents.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded and stained it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately high shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kiln-drying.