Cherry Vs Black Cherry

[Steve Thomas]

Hey guys,
Over here is Australia we don't come across too much Cherry, and I was wondering is there a difference between, "American Cherry" and "American Black Cherry" We have an opertunity to by some "Black Cherry" unsighted, So I just want to know if it's the "cherry" that you all know, and is not going to be a funky colour or anything weird.

Thanks,

Steve Thomas

[Jamie Buxton]

Black cherry is the name of the tree from which our cherry lumber is generally cut. I don't think I've ever heard the lumber being called black cherry.

That said, you never know what importers and exporters are going to do to lumber names. Here, we see Phillippine mahogany, which isn't a mahogany, and Brazilian Walnut, which isn't a walnut, and Peruvian Alder, which isn't an alder, and so on.

[Leo Graywacz]

Black Cherry is just a specific species of Cherry. You will be pleased with the color. Generally when you are getting veneered plywood you will get the darker red cherry color on the 'A' side, the veneer companies take the cream of the crop for their veneers. If it is solid stock, you will have a variety of reddish colors. From pinkish red to dark red from yellow red to green red. It'll all be there from board to board depending on what part of the tree it has come from. Remember, you will also be getting the sap wood which is a creamy white and is usually on the edges. For the redder of the red wood you want to try to get as much heart wood as possible.

[David Winer]

Note too, that the species, American Black Cherry (prunus serotina) has a fairly light pinkish color when freshly cut. The color turns reddish-brown and darkens with age and exposure to light.

[Norm Koerner]

Cherry and Black Cherry are the same thing. It's a native tree with tiny dark bitter cherries that are mostly seed. The best stands are in Pennsylvania, but it is common throughout the midwestern states of Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, etc. The trouble with the trees in the midwest is that they are usually in farmers' fence-rows or pastures and therefore have too many big branches down low ruining many boards with big knots. That said, there is a different species which produces the cherry fruits we eat, but it's a much smaller tree--probably the same genus but a different species.

[Steve Thomas]

Thanks guys, question answered.
Will go foward with this one. Thanks

[David Winer]

...there is a different species which produces the cherry fruits we eat, but it's a much smaller tree--probably the same genus but a different species.

And then there is still another type of cherry--the ornamentals. Neither the fruit nor ornamental cherry woods resemble closely the black cherry species. None I have seen is as desirable in color and figure as black cherry.

I have collected what I've heard called "tame cherry" logs a few times. The wood is o.k. (to me) but not in a class with black cherry.

I have to disagree with the comment about best stands in Pennsylvania. The trees seem to produce magnificent lumber in a lot of states. Lots of variables affect their growth and hence, appearance.