General Description

The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, the sapwood is creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.

Main Uses

Fine furniture and cabinet making, moldings and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings and carvings.

Working Properties

Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well, and when sanded and stained it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately high shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kiln-drying.

Physical Properties

The wood is of medium density with good bending properties; it has low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.