Black Cherry: Prunus serotina, Rosaceae

Prunus is a genus of 120 to 400 species that contain fruitwoods like cherry, plum and almond. The species are native to North America, Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean region. All species look alike microscopically. The word prunus is the classical Latin name for the cherry tree.

Other Common Names: American cherry, black wild cherry, cabinet cherry, chisos wild cherry, Edwards Plateau cherry, escarpment cherry, gila chokecherry, mountain black cherry, rum cherry, southwest choke cherry, southwestern chokecherry, wild black cherry, wild cherry, whisky cherry

Distribution: Cherry is found in the eastern half of the United States, from the plains to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. It also occurs in high elevations in Mexico.

The Tree: The tree reaches a height of 100 ft (30 m), with a diameter of 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m). It is shrubby under poor growth conditions and at the northern limit of its range. It does best on the rich, moist soil of the Appalachians.

General Wood Characteristics: The sapwood is light yellow, while the heartwood is brownish with a greenish tinge, darkening upon exposure to a deep reddish brown with a golden luster. The wood has a mild, aromatic scent, but no characteristic taste. It is of medium density, firm, and strong, with a fine, uniform texture. The grain is generally straight.

Weighta
Moisture content	Specific gravity	Weight
Moisture content	Specific gravity	lb/ft3	kg/m3
Green	0.47	45	721
12%	0.50	35	561
Ovendry	0.53	NA	NA

aReferences: specific gravity, green and 12%, (98); specific gravity, ovendry (59); weight, (59).

Mechanical propertiesa

Property	Green		Dry
MOE	1.31 × 106 lbf/in2	9.032 GPa	1.49 × 106 lbf/in2	10.274 GPa
MOR	8.00 × 103 lbf/in2	55.160 MPa	12.3 ×103 lbf/in2	84.809 MPa
C\| \|	3.54 × 103 lbf/in2	24.408 MPa	7.11 × 103 lbf/in2	49.023 MPa
C ⊥	0.36 × 103 lbf/in2	2.482 MPa	0.69 × 103 lbf/in2	4.758 MPa
WML	12.8 in-lbf/in3	88.256 kJ/m3	11.4 in-lbf/in3	78.603 kJ/m3
Hardness	660 lbf	2935.68 N	950 lbf	4225.60 N
Shear\| \|	1.13 × 103 lbf/in2	7.791 MPa	1.70 × 103 lbf/in2	11.721 MPa

aReference (98).

Drying and shrinkagea

Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content)

Type of shrinkage 0% MC 6% MC 20% MC

Tangential 7.1 5.7 2.4

Radial 3.7 3.0 1.2

Volumetric 11.5 9.2 3.8

aReferences: 0% MC, (98); 6% and 20% MC, (90).

Kiln drying schedulea

	4/4, 5/4, 6/4	8/4	10/4	12/4	16/4
Condition	stock	stock	stock	stock	stock
Black cherry	T8-B4	T5-B3	T5-B2	T3-B2	T3-A1
Bitter cherry	T5-B2	T3-A1	NA	NA	NA
(P. emarginata)

aReferences (6, 86).

Working Properties: Cherry is easy to work, finishes smoothly, and is dimensionally stable. It is easily machined. It can be sawn cleanly, turned well, and planed excellently with standard cutting angles. Screw-holding ability is good, as is gluing, except where gum streaks are present.

Durability: Rated as very resistant to heartwood decay. Preservation: No information available at this time.

Uses: Fine furniture, printing and engraving blocks, patterns, professional and scientific instruments, piano actions, handles, wooden ware, toys, and specialty items.

Toxicity: No information available at this time. Additional Reading: 29, 34, 59, 68, 74.

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