Cherry is Ripe for the Picking

Cherry [Prunus serotina], also known as black cherry and American cherry, lags well behind the sales of the most popular domestics, such as white oak and walnut, according to suppliers interviewed by Woodshop News. Despite its rich, warm color, steady prices, and availability, sales are only steady at best.

“It’s still a very weak market,” says Lou Irion of Irion Lumber in Wellsboro, Pa. “The price is still really good because there just isn’t a lot of demand for it and it’s hard to figure out why because it is such good wood. It’s such a good price, it’s clear, and it’s got beautiful color.

“It has just somehow fallen out of favor. Everything is cyclical. It should come back. But it’s just a shame because the logs that we get are so nice and we’re cutting such nice material, but you can only cut so much if you’re not selling a lot.”

John Sliney of Vienna Hardwoods in Fairfax, Va., is also baffled by the lack of interest in cherry.

“It’s not as popular as it was 10 years ago,” he says. “We don’t sell a whole lot of it. It’s one of the few woods where the price has stayed the same for probably at least five years. Some people do like it but it’s just not as universally popular as it was once.”

Clint Dillon of Steve Wall Lumber in Mayodan, N.C., says cherry is selling for cabinets and custom furniture pieces, and prices are favorable.

“They didn’t increase like a lot of the other lumbers back in 2021 and 2022,” says Dillon. “Availability has stayed pretty consistent for us, not like the white oaks and the walnuts.”

Dillon notes that sales of lower-grade cherry, such as No. 1 Common, are strong. “That rustic look, with the knots and defects, is popular,” he says.

Greg Engle of Certainly Wood in East Aurora, N.Y., is seeing an increased demand for cherry veneer, particularly for furniture and architectural millwork, but says availability is a looming issue.

“We are seeing an uptick in cherry inquiries currently in veneer. Our issue at hand is finding veneer mills that are producing it. There isn’t a real pent-up demand for cherry like there used to be, but we’re just starting to feel a little bit of change in the cherry market. It’s nothing to get overly excited about, but enough that we’re starting to explore our options with veneer mills and keeping tabs on what they’re producing. The bulk of whatever cherry we sell is in heavy thickness, ranging between 1 to 1.5 mm,” says Engle.

Quotes for 4/4 FAS cherry boards ranged from $4.90 to $7/bf.  

This article was originally published in the July 2023 issue.