Cherry
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 yellowish to creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets.
Distribution
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. Cherry is found in the eastern half of the United States, from plains to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.
Working Properties
Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded and stained, it produces an excellent smooth finish. It dries fairly quickly with moderately high shrinkage, but is dimensionally stable after kiln-drying.
Physical Properties
The wood is of medium density with good bending properties, it has low stiffness and medium strength and shock resistance.
durability
Rated as very resistant to heartwood decay.
Uses
Fine furniture, flooring, cabinet making, doors, musical instruments, moldings, millwork, turnings.