Prunus Serotina (Black cherry)

Scientific Name
Prunus serotina

Trade Name
Black cherry

Family Name
Rosaceae

Synonyms
Prunus salicifolia, Cerasus serotina

Common Names
American black cherry, Black cherry, Cabinet cherry, Capollin, Capuli, Capulin, Capulin cherry, Cerezo, Cerezo de Los Andes, Cherry, Chisos wild cherry, Choke cherry, Chokecherry, Detze, Edwards Plateau cherry, Escarpment cherry, Ghoto, Gila chokecherry, Mountain black cherry, Muji, New England mahogany, Pa-kshmuk, Plum, Rum cherry, Southwestern chokecherry, Spate traubenkirsche, Tnunday, Whiskey cherry, Wild black cherry, Wild cherry, Xeugua

Regions of Distribution
North America, Western Europe

Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP]
Canada, Switzerland, United States

Common Uses
Bedroom suites, Boat building (general), Boat building, Bobbins, Building materials, Cabinetmaking, Canoes, Carvings, Caskets, Chairs, Chests, Coffins, Concealed parts (Furniture), Core Stock, Decorative veneer, Desks, Dining-room furniture, Dowell pins, Dowells, Drawer sides, Drum sticks, Figured veneer, Fine furniture, Floor lamps, Flooring, Furniture , Furniture components, Furniture squares or stock, Furniture, Handles: general, Hatracks, Interior construction, Interior trim, Joinery, Kitchen cabinets, Lifeboats, Living-room suites, Mathematical instruments, Millwork, Moldings, Musical instruments , Musical instruments, Musical instruments: piano, Novelties, Office furniture, Paneling, Plywood, Scientific instruments, Sculpture, Skis, Specialty items, Toys, Turnery, Veneer, Veneer: decorative, Woodenware

Environmental Profile

Distribution Overview
In North America, Black cherry is distributed in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Illinois, Georgia, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. It sometimes occurs in pure stands, and can thrive, with the exception of very wet or very dry soils, on many sites, including soil without much lime and good drainage. As many as five varieties of Black cherry are known.

Heartwood Color

Some flooring manufacturers are reported to steam Black cherry lumber to bleed the darker heartwood into the sapwood for a more uniform color. Color variations between boards are rather significant

Sapwood Color

Grain

Strong resemblance to true Mahogany, and is often called New England mahogany. Pieces with dark wavy streaks which are described as striking in appearance are frequently found

Texture

Luster

Natural Growth Defects

Natural Durability

Natural resistance to decay is of little concern because of the typical uses of the wood.

Odor

Light-Induced Color Change

Toxicity

Kiln Schedules

Drying Defects

Ease of Drying

Kiln Drying Rate

Tree Size

Black cherry is the largestof all North American cherries. The trees are famous for their wood, but they are also attractive, flowering species

Product Sources
States in the United States that lead in the production of cherries in commercial quantities are reported to include Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Utah, California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Idaho.

The popularity of cherry in the furniture market has increased over the years because of its warmth, personality, and ease of use. The price of cherry is based on the absence of each of the three basic characteristics of the wood: gum or pockets and streaks, pin knots, and figures. The wood is usually graded by the amount of character it has, and cherry without any figure markings is rather difficult to find. Cherry lumber is slightly more expensive than oak.

Comments
General finishing qualities are rated as good

The use of UV light inhibitors in coatings has been suggested to prevent the color change.

Blunting Effect

Boring

Number of good to excellent pieces after boring one hundred pieces = 100

Carving

Cutting Resistance

Gluing

Mortising

Moulding

Movement in Service

Nailing

Planing

Resistance to Impregnation

Response to Hand Tools

Routing & Recessing

Sanding

Screwing

Turning

Veneering Qualities

Black cherry crotches and burls are highly sought after for figured veneers.

Steam Bending

It has been compared to Beech and Ash in steam bending properties

Painting

Polishing

Staining

Finished Cherry wood is very handsome because of its rich luster and reddish brown color which turns richer and darker with age. Addition of ultra-violet light inhibitors has been suggested to prevent color change.

Strength Properties

American Black cherry has been described as a wood with many moods, and is usually considered to be in the same class as mahogany for usage in the United States

Numerical Data

References
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Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin.

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Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London

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Gatchell, C.J.,1971,American Woods – Black Cherry,USDA, Forest Service American Woods FS-229

Gomes Mauro, J., Occhioni, P.,1954,Pulping of Latin-American Woods,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products,Laboratory, Madison Report,2012,964

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I.U.F.R.O.,1973,Veneer Species of the World,Assembled at F.P.L. Madison on behalf of I.U.F.R.O. Working Party on,Slicing and Veneer Cutting

Jackson, A. and D. Day. 1991. Good Wood Handbook – The Woodworker’s Guide to Identifying, Selecting and Using the Right Wood. Betterway Publications, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Kaiser, J. 1992. Wood of the Month – Cherry: The Handsome, Regal Fruitwood. Wood & Wood Products, March, 1992. Page 48.

Kaiser, J. 1989. Wood of the Month – Cherry: ‘New England Mahogany’ is in Style Again. Wood of the Month Annual, Supplement to Wood of the Month, Volume 1, Page 22.

Kaiser, J. 1994. Wood of the Month – Cherry: An American Tradition for Fine Furniture. Wood and Wood Products, December, 1994. Page 48.

Kline, M. 1977. Prunus serotina – Black cherry. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., Portland, Maine. 1994. Page 291-291.

Kloot, N.H., Bolza, E.,1961,Properties of Timbers Imported into Australia,C.S.I.R.O. Forest Products Division Technological Paper,No.12

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Little, E.L. 1980. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees – Western Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

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Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press

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USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.