Cherry prices holding strong

If there’s any silver lining in the current hardwoods market, it’s with cherry, also known as black cherry or American cherry [Prunus serotina]. The quality is good, and the pricing is stable relative to other species, according to suppliers interviewed by Woodshop News. There’s mixed consumer interest in the species, with some buyers favoring figured and live-edge variations.

“I think cherry has been pretty constant throughout the past couple of years, especially in that the pricing hasn’t increased that much. It’s been holding strong, and it’s still pretty popular even with the white trends going on,” says Carl Mahlstedt of Goosebay Sawmill & Lumber in Chichester, N.H.

“We get a lot of curly cherry, which is harder to find. People like it for furniture. It adds another dimension that you might not get with some other woods. We do live edge cherry too, which also adds another way to utilize it because it’s got a nice contrast with the hardwood and the sapwood.”

Mahlstedt adds that cherry is one of the only hardwoods right now where pricing hasn’t fluctuated drastically. Brendan Harris of Parkerville Wood Products in Manchester, Conn. agrees.

“We still see a pretty strong demand in cherry right now. It’s not been increasing in price at least for us as aggressively as some other species. It’s not gone too far off the charts. It’s been pretty consistent. We still have a strong demand for it. It’s still definitely one of our better sellers,” says Harris.

Doug Grove of Groff & Groff Lumber in Quarryville, Pa. also states that cherry has remained at an attractive price point but notes that it’s not a hot seller due to current style trends.

“The price definitely hasn’t gone up as much as other species have. We’re selling it but not nearly as much as we’re selling white oak and walnut. It’s just out of favor. People just seem like they don’t want that color. If we have cherry slabs, anything with a natural edge, it seems to sell and that’s the direction we’ve been going,” says Grove.

“[Cherry’s] still one of my favorites. I don’t know why people don’t buy more of it. And I feel like it ages a lot better than some of the other species do. It gets darker and deeper with time.”

In late November, dealers said 4/4 FAS cherry was selling for about $6.50/bf. 

This article was originally published in the January 2022 issue.