- Species
- Prunus serotina (black cherry)
- Janka
- About 950 lbf
- Density
- About 560 kg/m³
- Stability
- High
- Relative cost
- High
- Target moisture
- 6 to 9 percent for heated interiors
Materials / Temperate hardwood
Black Cherry: Color, Grades and How to Specify It
Fine grained, stable and warm in color. Starts light pinkish brown and darkens to deep reddish brown with light, so color planning matters.
Black cherry is the North American hardwood known for its color change. Freshly machined heartwood is a light pinkish brown. Exposed to light, it darkens over the first months to a deep reddish brown. Furniture makers value it for that patina, its smooth fine grain and the way it moves little once dry.
Commercial cherry comes from the eastern United States, with much of the furniture grade lumber from the northern Appalachian region. It is softer than oak and maple, so it suits case goods, cabinet doors, beds and tables more than heavy wear surfaces.
Buyers new to cherry are often surprised by two things: the difference between a fresh sample and the same wood after a few weeks, and the small natural marks that the grade rules allow. Both should be settled in writing before production starts.
Properties
| Janka hardness | About 950 lbf (4,230 N) |
| Density at 12 percent moisture | About 560 kg/m³ |
| Shrinkage, green to oven dry | About 3.7 percent radial, 7.1 percent tangential |
| Grain and texture | Straight grain, fine and even texture with closed small pores. Some boards are curly. |
| Color | Light pinkish brown heartwood that darkens to reddish brown with light. Narrow pale cream sapwood. |
| Natural marks | Gum pockets and streaks, small pith flecks and occasional mineral streaks |
| Steam bending | Good |
Typical published values for wood at about 12 percent moisture. Individual boards and panels vary.
Grades you will see on a quote
The grade decides how much clear wood you pay for. Name it on the RFQ and ask for photos of what the factory calls that grade.
- FAS and FAS 1 Face (NHLA)Long, wide, mostly clear boards for tops, doors and long parts. The highest price.
- No. 1 Common (NHLA)Shorter clear cuttings. The usual grade for components cut to length.
- No. 2A Common (NHLA)More knots, gum and sapwood. Used for rustic products and small parts.
- Color sorted cherryMany mills sell sorts by the share of heartwood on the face, for example mostly heart on one face. Names and limits vary, so ask for the written rule.
- Steamed cherrySome lumber is steamed to blend sapwood toward the heartwood color. Results are less marked than with walnut.
- Gum and pith fleck limitsNot a grade but a buyer rule. State whether gum streaks and pith flecks are allowed on show faces and at what size.
Where cherry works
Products and parts where it earns its price, and where another material is the better buy.
Case goods and bedroom furniture
Dressers, nightstands and beds where a warm, aging color is wanted.
Cabinet doors and fronts
Solid frames with cherry veneered panels. Stable and smooth.
Dining tables and chairs
Tops, legs and rails for indoor use with a protective finish.
Millwork and paneling
Library walls, trim and doors in stain grade or natural finish.
Boxes and small goods
Gift boxes, trays and frames that machine and finish cleanly.
Turned and carved parts
Handles, knobs and legs. Holds fine detail.
Where it is a poor fit
- Hard wear surfaces such as butcher block, work benches or floors in busy areas. Cherry dents more easily than maple or oak.
- Products where the final color must match a fixed sample on day one. Cherry keeps darkening for months after finishing.
- Outdoor products. Cherry is used indoors and loses its color and finish in sun and rain.
In the factory
How cherry behaves in machining, gluing, finishing and drying. These points explain most price and quality differences between quotes.
- MachiningMachines, routes and turns cleanly. Burns easily on router bits and saw blades if feed is slow or tools are dull.
- GluingGlues well with standard adhesives. Color match each glue line, because sapwood and gum show clearly at joints.
- FinishingBlotches with pigment stains, so many factories finish cherry clear or use a wash coat and toner. Oil finishes deepen the color right away.
- Color agingLight darkens cherry over weeks to months. Parts stored partly covered can show light and dark patches, so keep them fully covered or fully exposed.
At each process step
- 10Sanding and finishingBlotches with oil stains and darkens with light over months. Match color against a sample of similar age.
Hardness compared
Cherry against the other solid woods buyers ask about. Hardness matters for tops, floors and parts that take knocks. For legs, frames and hidden parts, stability and price usually matter more.
- Hard maple1,450
- Beech1,450
- White oak1,360
- Ash1,320
- Red oak1,290
- Yellow birch1,260
- Acacia1,100
- Teak1,070
- Black walnut1,010
- Rubberwood980
- Cherry950
- Radiata pine710
- Poplar540
How to specify cherry
Example RFQ lines you can adapt.
- Black cherry, NHLA No. 1 Common or better, heartwood on all show faces, sapwood allowed on hidden faces, kiln dried to 6 to 9 percent.
- Cherry cabinet doors, clear show faces, small gum flecks under 3 mm allowed, no gum streaks, clear lacquer with no stain.
- Cherry dining top, color matched staves, natural oil finish, sample to be aged in light for two weeks before approval.
What to check on samples
Approve one sample in writing and keep it as the reference for every shipment.
- Sapwood on show faces against your stated limit
- Gum streaks, gum pockets and pith flecks against your size and count limit
- Burn marks on routed edges and profiles
- Blotching on stained samples from the actual batch
- Color of an aged sample next to a fresh one, so both sides know what to expect
Alternatives to cherry
When price, supply or the use case points elsewhere.
- Black walnutDarker from day one and more stable in color, at a higher price.
- Hard mapleHarder and paler. Takes a cherry toned finish but blotches without a conditioner.
- Yellow birch with cherry finishA lower cost base often finished to look like cherry. Fine grain, harder than cherry.
- Rubberwood with cherry finishA lower cost option for stained furniture when real cherry patina is not required.
Products often made in cherry: table tops and countertops, cabinet doors and fronts, panels and veneer, kitchenware and small wood goods.
Product lines in cherry: Shaker cabinet doors.
Questions about cherry
Related guides:
- Choosing a Wood Finish for Manufactured Wood Products
- NHLA Hardwood Grades Explained: FAS, Select and Common for Buyers
- Solid Wood, Edge-Glued or Veneer: Choosing Construction for Wood Parts
How fast does cherry darken?
Most of the change happens in the first weeks to months of light exposure, then it slows. Direct sun speeds it up. A finished sample left in daylight for a few weeks shows the direction of the change.
Are gum pockets a defect in cherry?
They are a natural feature of the species. Whether they are accepted depends on the grade sort and your own rule. State in the RFQ the largest gum fleck allowed on show faces and whether streaks are allowed.
Can cherry be stained?
Yes, but it blotches with many pigment stains. Factories use a wash coat, gel stain or toner. Many cherry products are finished clear and left to darken naturally.
Is cherry hard enough for a dining table?
Typical published Janka hardness is about 950 lbf, softer than oak and maple. It is widely used for dining tables with a durable finish, but it will show dents sooner than harder species.
Other temperate hardwoods
Need parts in cherry?
Send the drawing, grade and quantity. We match you with up to 3 wood manufacturers that work this material and reply within 24 business hours.
Get matched with a wood manufacturer