AMERICAN CHERRY
Prunus serotina
Common Names
American Cherry, Wild Cherry, Black Cherry, Black Chokecherry,
Rum Cherry, Whiskey Cherry
History
American Colonists used the cherry tree for its fruit, medicinal
properties and home furnishings. They mixed cherry juice with rum
to create Cherry Bounce, a bitter but highly favored cordial. The
bark was used in the production of drugs to treat bronchitis, and
cherry stalks were used to make tonics.
Did You Know?
Like all fruit trees, cherry belongs to the rose family. Early
printmakers used cherry for their engraving blocks.
Distribution
Throughout Midwestern and Eastern U.S. Average tree height is
60 to 80 feet. Cherry trees can live to the extreme ages of 150
to 200 years.
Main Uses
Fine furniture and cabinet making, mouldings and millwork, kitchen
cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments,
turnings and carvings.
Relative Abundance
3.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.
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.
Availability
Readily available.
Ash • Beech • Brazilian Cherry • Brazilian Walnut • Aromatic Cedar • Cherry • Coffeenut • Cypress • Hickory • Hard Maple • Poplar • Red Elm • Red Oak • Sassafras • Soft Maple • Walnut • White Oak • White Pine • Yellow Pine • Heart Pine
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