AMERICAN CHERRY – WOOD SPECIES INFORMATION

Tasmanian Oak Tree
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BROWSE PRODUCTS

The heartwood of American Cherry is light to a dark reddish brown and very lustrous. The sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. The grain is fine and frequently wavy. The texture is uniform and satiny.

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: Click for more information

950 – 26% softer than Northern Red Oak

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY: Click for more information

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:

The heartwood of American Cherry is light to a dark reddish brown and very lustrous. The sapwood is light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone. The grain is fine and frequently wavy. The texture is uniform and satiny. There can be significant color variations between boards. Some manufacturers steam the lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.

COLOR CHANGE:

Information currently unavailable

MAIN USES:

American Cherry is commonly found in fine furniture, veneers, and wood flooring borders and accents.

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.

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