The wild cherry
The Wood Guide · The forests
The forest series · tree portraitThe wild cherry
In April one of the most beautiful trees there is, and after that a source of wood that turns a deeper red year after year.
- Prunus avium
- Blossom in April
- Wood darkens to a deep reddish brown
The wild cherry in brief
The wild cherry or sweet cherry (Prunus avium), the wild ancestor of almost all cultivated cherry varieties. Family Rosaceae, like apple, pear and plum.
For anyone who knows the wood, the wild cherry is above all that: the source of a warm reddish-brown furniture wood with a fine, even grain, which deepens and warms with light over the years. A fifty-year-old cherry cabinet has a colour no stain comes close to.
For everyone else it is mainly the tree of April: a mature wild cherry in bloom is one of the most spectacular sights in the European forest.
Freshly sawn cherry is light pinkish brown and fairly unremarkable. Light turns it a deep, warm reddish brown — quickly in the first months, more slowly after that, and the process goes on for years. That also means: during the first months, don't leave anything lying on a cherry tabletop, because the spot underneath stays light.
- Botanical
- Prunus avium
- Family
- Rosaceae — like apple, pear and plum
- Flowering
- April, white, before or with the leaves
- Bark
- glossy reddish brown with horizontal stripes
- Wood
- light pinkish brown, darkening to deep reddish brown
- Grain
- fine and even
To be fair: wild cherries rarely grow big and straight enough for much usable sawn timber, and they are prone to gummosis: when damaged or diseased, the tree exudes a sticky resin that makes the wood unusable in places. Cherry is therefore scarce and expensive, and often comes in short lengths.
In pictures · The bark gives it away
Schematic drawing.
The bark gives it away
Horizontal stripes
The glossy reddish-brown bark has distinct horizontal lenticels — stripes through which the tree breathes. No other native tree has them so pronounced.
Peeling rings
On older trees the bark peels off in horizontal bands, making the trunk look ringed.
White blossom in April
In small clusters, before or together with the leaves. A mature tree in bloom is one of the loveliest sights of spring.
Gum
When damaged or diseased, a sticky, amber-coloured resin oozes from the bark. For the tree it is a defence; for the sawmiller it is a loss.
What cherry wood is used for
| Use | Why cherry | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture | Warm colour and fine grain | Darkens strongly in the first months |
| Veneer | This way one trunk goes a long way | The most sought-after use |
| Interior fit-out | Calm and warm | Short lengths; plan the layout |
| Musical instruments | Fine, even texture | Mainly wind and plucked-string instruments |
| Turning and carving | Cuts cleanly in every direction | Excellent |
| Exterior work | Unsuitable | Not durable |
During the first months, don't leave anything on a cherry tabletop for long. The wood under a placemat or a book stays lighter, and that difference never fully disappears. Move loose objects around regularly.
Frequently asked questions about the wild cherry
Does cherry wood change colour?
Yes, strongly. Freshly sawn it is light pinkish brown; light turns it deep reddish brown. That happens quickly in the first months, more slowly after that, and the process takes years.
How do I recognise a wild cherry?
By the glossy reddish-brown bark with distinct horizontal stripes, and by the white blossom in clusters in April.
Why is cherry wood expensive?
Wild cherries rarely grow big and straight enough for much sawn timber, and gummosis makes parts unusable. It often comes in short lengths.
What is that sticky resin on the trunk?
Gum, a defensive reaction to damage or disease. Useful for the tree, a loss for the sawmiller — it makes the wood unusable at that spot.
The wild cherry in perspective
Two weeks of blossom, and then wood that keeps ripening for fifty years.
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Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Prunus avium — Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0