How to Identify Black Cherry Wood (Prunus serotina)

Heartwood is light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a medium reddish brown with time and light exposure. Grain usually straight, except figured pieces with curly grain; fine, even texture with moderate natural luster. End grain: Semi-ring-porous to diffuse-porous; earlywood can form a single continuous row of pores; vessels medium to small, numerous; parenchyma none visible; rays medium width, barely visible without magnification.

Janka hardness 950 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.5 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 31 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Red alder is often sold as a lower-cost stand-in for black cherry once stained; genuine cherry has a mild distinctive scent when worked and semi-ring-porous endgrain with occasional gum pockets, while alder is diffuse porous, lighter in density (590 lbf vs 950 lbf), and has no characteristic odor. The Alder (Red) page has its own details.

Mild, distinctive scent when being worked; breathing the sawdust has been associated with respiratory effects such as wheezing.

Cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, interior millwork, veneer, turned objects, and small specialty wood items.

One of the best all-around woods for workability; stable, straight-grained, and machines well, though staining can give blotchy results; sawdust has been associated with respiratory effects such as wheezing.

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.