American Cherry

American cherry, or black cherry (Prunus serotina), earns its spot in fine furniture and cabinetry twice over: a smooth, fine texture, and a color that puts on a show over time — freshly cut boards start out a light pinkish brown and deepen to a rich reddish-brown patina after a few weeks of light exposure.

Working Properties

Cherry is about as forgiving a domestic hardwood as you'll find on the bench: stable, straight-grained, and clean under both hand and power tools. Its one real trap is blotchy staining — that same fine, even texture soaks up stain unevenly if you're not careful, though a sanding sealer or gel stain sidesteps the problem entirely. Plenty of woodworkers skip stain altogether and just let cherry do what it does naturally under a clear finish.

Typical Uses

Fine furniture, cabinetry, flooring, interior millwork, and veneer.