Wood Species Guide
Sweet Cherry
Prunus avium
Also called: European Cherry, Wild Cherry (UK), Gean, Mazzard, Orchard Cherry
About the name “Sweet Cherry”
In Britain "wild cherry" means this tree, while in the US the same words usually point to our native black cherry. The two woods look alike, but sweet cherry is a little harder and heavier and comes in smaller sizes. If a board is sold simply as cherry in the US, it is almost always black cherry.
What Sweet Cherry looks like
Heartwood starts out a light pinkish brown and warms to a golden or reddish brown with light and age. The pale yellow sapwood band is usually an inch or two wide and contrasts a bit more than it does on black cherry.
Grain and texture
Fine, close grain that is mostly straight or gently wavy, with a smooth, even texture and a soft sheen.
Working Sweet Cherry: planing, cutting and gluing
Cuts, planes and sands cleanly with hand or power tools, and it turns nicely. Like other cherries it can burn if you pause a router or saw blade. Glue and screws hold well.
Finishing Sweet Cherry: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Clear oil or hardwax oil looks great and lets the color deepen naturally. Stain can blotch on the tight grain, so use a washcoat or gel stain if you must tint it. The closed pores give little trouble under epoxy, and the wood will keep darkening under a clear coat with UV exposure.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
Not a wood for outdoor use, and the sapwood draws insects. Indoors it is stable once dry. In a Florida home, let it acclimate in the AC and finish all faces so it doesn't take on moisture unevenly.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
Sweet cherry is the European cousin of our black cherry, and in the US it mostly turns up as orchard logs, turning blanks and veneer. It is a lovely pick for boxes, spoons, small boards and turned work, and it pairs well with walnut or maple. For a full tabletop, black cherry is easier to find in wide stock. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.
Common uses for Sweet Cherry
Furniture, cabinetry, veneer, turned bowls and spoons, carving, small boxes and musical instrument parts.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List. It is a common tree across Europe and widely grown in orchards.
Safety and toxicity
- Respiratory / asthma
Few reports for this species. The closely related black cherry has been linked to breathing irritation, so treat the dust the same way.
- 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.
Few problems are reported for sweet cherry itself. Related black cherry dust has been linked to breathing irritation, so use dust collection and a mask when sanding.
Sweet Cherry in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Sweet Cherry listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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