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American Cherry | Prunus serotina

American Cherry has rich red to reddish-brown heartwood, making it a premium timber for high-end interior applications.

American Cherry is a hardwood native to eastern USA. Its heartwood ranges from a dark, rich red to a reddish brown, and is prized for high-end interior applications, turning and carving, and musical instruments.

Other Names: American Black Cherry, Black Cherry, Rum Cherry

Overview
Properties
Description
Applications
Suppliers

Overview

Predominantly grown in the eastern regions of the USA, American Cherry is a highly prized hardwood for a vast range of interior and other applications. Heartwood ranges from rich reds to reddish browns, while the sapwood is creamy white. Sapwood can be steamed to darken the colour. The wood has a fine, uniform grain with a smooth texture; it can contain pith flecks and gum pockets that are considered to add to the distinctiveness of the timber.

American Cherry has good workability, as it is easy to machine, nail and glue. It is also an excellent timber for turning and carving, making it popular in the construction of musical instruments. It is of medium density, has good bending properties, low stiffness, and has medium strength and shock resistance.

The main reason for the timber's popularity for high-end applications, such as furniture, cabinet making, boat interiors and musical instruments, is its ease of workability and that it sands, stains and polishes to a smooth finish, highlighting its rich colouring.

American Cherry is readily available in the USA as both sawn timber and veneer and in a range of grades and specifications. It is available in Australia from specialist timber suppliers.

Properties

Shrinkage

	Very Low	Low	Medium	High	Very High
Tangential:
Tangential:				6.7
Radial:				4 - 5
Unit Movement:				9.2 %

Strength Group

	Very High	High	Reasonably High	Medium High	Medium	Reasonably Low	Low	Very Low
Unseasoned:	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7
Unseasoned:
Seasoned:	SD1	SD2	SD3	SD4	SD5	SD6	SD7	SD8
Seasoned:

Stress Grade

Unseasoned:
	Structural No. 1	Structural No. 2	Structural No. 3	Structural No. 4	Structural No. 5
Seasoned:

Density per Standard

Unseasoned:	0 kg/m³
Seasoned:	545 kg/m³

Joint Group

	Very High	High	Reasonably High	Medium	Low	Very Low
Unseasoned:	J1	J2	J3	J4	J5	J6
Unseasoned:
Seasoned:	JD1	JD2	JD3	JD4	JD5	JD6
Seasoned:

Colour

White, yellow, pale straw to light brown	Pink to pink brown	Light to dark red	Brown, chocolate, mottled or streaky

Mechanical Properties

Modulus of Rupture - Seasoned:	84.809
Modulus of Elasticity - Seasoned:	10.274
Maximum Crushing Strength - Seasoned:	49.023
Hardness - Seasoned:	4.226

Durability

	Low	Moderate	Reasonably High	High
	(0 - 5 yrs)	(5 - 15 yrs)	(15 - 25 yrs)	(more than 25 yrs)
In-Ground:
	(0 - 7 yrs)	(7 - 15 yrs)	(15 - 40 yrs)	(More than 40 yrs)
Above ground:
	(0 - 20 yrs, usually < 5)	(21 - 40 yrs)	(41 - 64 yrs)	(More than 60 yrs)
Marine Borer Resistance:

Lyctid Borer Susceptibility:	Susceptible
Termite Resistance:	Not Resistant

Fire Properties

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
EFH Ignitibility:

	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
EFH Spread-of-Flame Index:
EFH Smoke-Developed Index:

	1 - non-combustible	2 - reasonably non-combustible	3 - slightly combustible	4 - combustible
Fire Properties Group Number:

Description

Botanical Name:	Prunus serotina
Preferred Common Name:	American Cherry
Other Names:	American Black Cherry, Black Cherry, Rum Cherry
Photographer Name:	Copyright AHEC
Species Type:	Hardwood

Appearance

American Cherry heartwood ranges in colour from rich dark red through to reddish brown. The colour darkens on exposure to UV light. In contrast, sapwood is creamy white that can be steamed to a darker colour. This premium timber has a fine, straight grain and smooth texture; it can contain naturally occurring brown pith flecks and small gum pockets, which are considered to enhance the timber's distinctiveness.

Common Applications

American Cherry is a highly attractive timber used in furniture, flooring, doors, joinery and cabinetry, mouldings and veneered panels. It is also an excellent timber for use in the construction of musical instruments due to its colour and smooth finish.

Common Form

Sawn, Veneer

Workability

American Cherry works well with both hand and machine tools. It is easy to machine, glue and nail. It is also a good woodturning and carving timber. Once sanded, stained and polished, it attains an excellent finish.

Origin of Timber

North America

Readily Available

NSW, VIC, SA, TAS, QLD, WA, NT

Availability - Further Information

American Cherry is readily available in the eastern parts of the USA. It is available in Australia from specialist timber suppliers, who import the timber for use in high-end interior and furniture applications.

Source of Timber

Native Forest

Applications

Flooring

Whether for structural or finished flooring applications, timber offers durability, versatility and adaptability. The warmth, strength and natural beauty of timber flooring has proved enduringly popular in a wide variety of interior settings.
Interior Rails and Balustrades

With its natural beauty and inherent strength, timber is a popular material choice in internal balustrade construction. Commonly built from treated softwoods and durable hardwoods, interior balustrades and handrails are typically finished with a clear lacquer to generate the most natural result.
Interior Stairs

Timber should be the material of choice for designers seeking internal staircases of strength, beauty and durability. The construction procedure described here applies to most general type stairs of either conventional or contemporary construction.
Internal Paneling

Timber paneling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly utilising an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products
Timber Joinery Products

Timber joinery products offer a classic, unique and stylish touch to any interior design.
Timber Mouldings

Mouldings are extremely versatile and durable, enhancing the aesthetics of any interior and functioning as the icing on the cake for designs with a focus on beauty and splendour.