Anybody use "Southern Cherry"

[Doyle Alley]

I keep seeing this add in the Tampa and St. Pete Papers for "Southern Cherry"

LUMBER, Southern Cherry, air dried, band mill sawn, widths to 10'', 1'' thick, length to 12', $2 per board /t. 352-228-9145 leave msg.

I've never seen Southern Cherry before. Anybody got any experience with it? Would this be a good price? Area code 352 is up around Crystal River, so it's a pretty good haul from where I am. If any of you guys are up in that area, you might be able to take advantage of it.

[Jim Becker]

Never heard of "Southern Cherry"...Google only brings up references to a band and some references to furniture "color".

AC 352 is central Florida...Ocala, Silver Spring, Lady Lake, etc. (The 'rents live in that area...although they first settled in Bradenton when they "emigrated" to Florida years ago)

[Larry Crim]

If it's like any of the cherry here in memphis it is well worth the $2 price, I get it here for $3-4 a bf for 4/4 and 5/4. Pick up a little take it home plane it and see how you like it. Or take a hand plane with you and a spray bottle of water look at it there.
Larry

[tod evans]

my understanding of cherry is that if it`s not from the allegheny it`s most likely labled by wholesalers as "southern". that said i have a couple thousand bf of ozark harvested cherry that`s just fine for my uses, in fact i can lay a piece beside the "good stuff" and can`t see a difference..02 tod

[Doyle Alley]

After doing a little research, I found that Southern Cherry is the same species as the standard Appalachian Cherry - just growing further south. Supposedly has a more pronounced grain and more sap pits and staining due to the longer growing season.

If I lived closer to the guy as I would try some.

[Danny Buie]

My experience with cherry from North East Alabama and Southern Tennesee is that is a lot redder than Pensylvania cherry. The color difference is due to the different soil types and milder weather. It can be less dense than the slower grown northern cherry. I have seen some that is as dense as any from the frozen north while some will be significantly lighter. In my opinion it looks just as good, works well and there are no issues with finishing. The furniture companies used to avoid it because of the pitch pockets and the problems with finishing in a production invironment. The southern stuff I've been working has a nice cherry aroma to it.

[Jeff Horton]

Wouldn't this just be black cherry? Or as my folks always called it wild cherry. If so it is great wood and has been used for furniture for years. I some given to me, at least I think it is black cherry.

[Bill Arnold]

I used what was called 'Florida Cherry' by the guy at a sawmill in Hillsborough County. Probably the same stuff. It's as described above -- grain a bit more pronounced, etc. I picked some pieces that were matched pretty well and it has aged very much like other 'better' cherry I've used.