Wood Species Guide

Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

Also called: American Cherry, Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Wild Cherry, Rum Cherry, Mill Run Cherry (a lumber grade)

Black cherry is the wood that gets better with age: pale pink when cut, deep reddish brown after a few seasons of light. It has a fine, smooth texture and is a pleasure to machine, which is why it has been a fine-furniture staple for centuries.
DomesticHardwoodCherries & Fruitwoods
Good forTabletops & SlabsRiver TablesCutting Boards (food-safe, closed grain)Turning

What Black Cherry looks like

Fresh-cut heartwood is a light pinkish brown that darkens over months to the deep reddish brown people think of as 'cherry'. The sapwood is a pale cream. Sunlight drives the darkening, so leave something sitting under a lamp or in a window and you'll see a tan line.

Grain and texture

Fine, even texture with a mostly straight grain and a satiny feel. Look for small dark gum pockets and pith flecks, which are natural. Figured cherry with curl is uncommon but beautiful.

Working Black Cherry: planing, cutting and gluing

Cuts, planes and sands easily, though it burns readily on the table saw or router if you feed slowly or use a dull bit. It glues and screws well. Mill run cherry is a lumber grade that includes some sapwood, knots and gum streaks at a friendlier price.

Finishing Black Cherry: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Takes oil, shellac and lacquer very well. It can blotch with pigment stains, so skip the stain or use a washcoat or gel stain first. Most people simply oil it and let time darken it. Cherry is not oily and epoxy cures fine on it; a thin seal coat still helps keep bubbles out of the pores.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

The heartwood is rated durable against decay, but it is a furniture wood, not a deck wood. It is fairly stable once dry. In Florida, acclimate it indoors and finish both sides; it handles AC'd homes well.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

We stock cherry as live-edge slabs and as rough-sawn lumber, including mill run. Cherry slabs tend to be narrower than walnut, so they shine as benches, shelves, mantels and bar tops, or as a pair book-matched into a table. Sharp tooling and steady feed rates keep the burn marks off. If you want an even color across a glue-up, sort boards by tone and give it a few days of sun before finishing.

Common uses for Black Cherry

Fine furniture, cabinetry, interior millwork, turned bowls, musical instruments, live-edge shelves and mantels.

Sustainability and CITES status

Not listed in the CITES Appendices. The IUCN Red List rates it as Least Concern.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating LowWhat the ratings mean
  • Respiratory / asthma

A few people report wheezing or lightheadedness from the dust, and cherry has been named as a cause of airway allergy. The leaves, bark and pits are toxic, but dried lumber is not a known problem.

In the shop
Dust collection + mask when sanding
Food contact
Good choice for cutting boards, bowls and utensils

General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.

Cherry dust can cause respiratory irritation and, less often, skin irritation in sensitive people. The leaves, bark and seeds contain compounds that are toxic to livestock, though dried lumber is widely used. Use dust collection and a mask.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared

Black Cherry in stock now

Live edge slabs in stock (5)Hardwood lumber in stock (2)

Want to see them in person? Book a slab & lumber visit.

Similar woods: Cherries & Fruitwoods

See the Cherries & Fruitwoods group guide

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