American Cherry
Prunus serotina
Also known as black cherry, American black cherry · Botanical Prunus serotina
Revision history
- — Data re-verified in site-wide audit (formulas, sources, durability classes)
- — Working properties and comparable-species data cross-checked against listed sources
About American Cherry
American Cherry (Prunus serotina) is a mid-range timber, hard enough for everyday wear and still easy to work, with a Janka hardness of 950 lbf (4,226 N) and a density of about 0.5 g/cm³. It grows in North America.
At 3.7% radial and 7.1% tangential the T/R ratio is 1.92 — typical, and manageable in interior joinery and furniture provided the gaps are designed rather than assumed. Its fibre saturation point is near 28%. Below it the wood shrinks steadily — 7.1% tangential, 3.7% radial. Ordinary territory: design the gaps rather than hoping the finish will hold it. — wide boards need real expansion room, not a token gap.
At 500 kg/m³ a cubic metre of American Cherry weighs about 500 kg air-dry — that figure, the 7.1% tangential and 3.7% radial movement and the 950 lbf hardness are the three inputs the calculators below actually consume. Select American Cherry in any of them to get species-specific results for weight, moisture, shrinkage and hardness.
Working properties
How American Cherry behaves at the bench and on the machine, drawn from the USDA Forest Products Laboratory and the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC).
Durability & use classification
American Cherry is rated moderately durable (EN 350 Class 3). It is valued as an interior wood rather than a weather-resistant one, and being relatively soft it suits only low-traffic flooring (bedrooms, or shoes-off homes). Keep it out of ground contact.
Typical applications & suitability
Indoor — Indoor use. Cherry earns its place on looks and workability — warm colour, fine finish and easy machining — which is why it's a premier furniture and cabinet wood, not an exterior one.
Documented end-uses: fine furniture and cabinetmaking, interior joinery, mouldings and millwork, kitchen cabinets, panelling and doors, boat interiors, low-traffic flooring, musical instruments, turnery, carving and pattern-making.
Comparable species
Species closest to American Cherry by density, hardness, stiffness and bending strength, computed directly from the Vriksai species dataset rather than hand-picked.
Trade alternatives. For a similar warm, fine-grained furniture wood the trade turns to Black Walnut (darker) or steamed European Beech toned to a cherry hue; African Mahogany offers a comparable reddish cast.
Alternatives to American Cherry
American Cherry measures 950 lbf Janka at 0.50 g/cm³, EN 350 durability Class 3, movement rated Good. American Cherry sits mid-range, which gives the widest choice of substitutes — and the widest scope to pick the wrong one on appearance alone. Read the numbers against the Janka scale and EN 350 durability classes.
For domestic flooring, worktops and furniture edges taking regular contact. Harder timber dents less and machines slower — both matter on a quotation.
Lighter and faster to work. Pricing is not shown here: timber cost varies with region, grade, origin, certification and availability, and we hold no verified price data to publish.
The axis that decides whether a wide panel or a door stays flat through a Panipat monsoon and then a 45 °C May. Size the gaps with the shrinkage predictor and EMC calculator.
If American Cherry is unavailable and the specification cannot change, these are the nearest substitutes across hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and durability class together — not on any single property. Lower distance means a closer match.
American Cherry is EN 350 Class 3, so untreated exterior service is not advisable. These reach Class 1–2 at comparable hardness.
Computed from measured properties only — hardness, density, movement, stiffness, bending strength and EN 350 class. Price, availability and appearance are never inputs. Figures are representative values, not consignment absolutes: two species within a few percent are equivalent until verified on the material. Full method and the rules the engine cannot break.
Substitution is a match on durability class, movement and strength — not on colour or grain. Where two candidates are close, compare them directly before specifying.
Compare American Cherry side by side
The head-to-heads specifiers most often weigh against it for furniture and interior joinery. Every pairing shows the measured figures side by side; full matrix in the comparison index.
Calculators relevant to American Cherry
Chosen for how American Cherry is actually specified — its density, movement and durability class feed straight in. Full set in the tool index.
Understand the figures
Durability & fire — EN 350 classes and E84 ratings · Thermal conductivity — k-value and insulation behaviour · ThermoWood species guide — Thermo-D/Thermo-S treatment classes · Janka hardness scale — how the lbf figure is measured.
Further reading. What is ThermoWood? · Wood moisture content explained · How to calculate board feet.
Common questions about American Cherry
unverified no published source for this figure · FPL USDA FPL Wood Handbook GTR-190 · WD The Wood Database (Eric Meier) · calc derived from the figures above