Wild Cherry Trees-----Can wood be used for furniture construction?

[jim george]

Can the wood from wild cherry trees be used in furniture construction?

[Ga_Boy]

Hi Jim,


First let me welcome you to the FF.  I think you will like it here.  It is an easy going place where we end up talking about our favorite food.

Now to your question.  I will assume you are asking about Black Cherry, if my assumption is correct; Black Cherry is most desirable for furniture.

Last fall I did my bath in Cherry, it turned out fantistic.  Well if you like Cherry that is.




Mark

[Paschale]

Any pics, Mark?  I'd love to see it...just started tackling my own bathroom project, still making decisions on trim and what to slap up on the wall...maybe some wainscoating, or some subway tile.  Plus gotta build a cabinet, though mine will be from ash.

[Loghead]

Jim
In my gallery there is a couple of shots showing the black cherry floor I cut from my back yard for the loft floor it turned out great we love it  !!  8) 8)

[Ianab]

Hi Jim,

What people call 'wild' cherry seems to vary from region to region.

But it is commonly Prunus avium which is a European species that has naturalised to the States and other parts of the world. The wood is similar to Black cherry (Prunus serotina) but doesnt have the same rich red 'cherry' colour. It tends to be more of a brown tone. Apart from that the wood is very similar and could be used for the same uses, it just wont look exactly the same.

Cheers

Ian

[Ga_Boy]

Hi there Paschale,

I'll drag out the camera and snap a few pictures and get them up for you.

The greatest thing we did was add raident floor heat, now that is nice.  Everybody should have heated floors.

[SPIKER]

I am curious about which species of cherry is which, I have 3 or 4 different varieties as they have different bark on each,

Sooth bark, with smaller horz lines around/ringing trees,

rough scaly bark which peals up in 1~2" squares and a 3rd type which seems some place in between.  (pictures to follow if I remember the camera going to go tap a few maples Sunday)
here is pic


will have to FIND & POST pics of oter types.

markM

[beenthere]

Place something, like a pen, a person, or a ruler in the pics when you take them. Will help to know if this tree diam is 3", 12", or 36".  Looks like black cherry to me.

[Ga_Boy]

Spiker,

The picture with the rough scaly bark is a Black Cherry.  The smoth bark is a known as Choke Cherry as it produces a small bitter fruit.




Mark

[Furby]

The black cherry also has smooth bark on young trees.

[SPIKER]

I was thinking that that was black cherry, (I had it listed as such on the photo bucket site, here I didn't list it,)  it is actually about 14" dia tree right now. pic was taken last fall.   
the smooth bark one I believe was a sweet cherry (as it does not ave clusters of cherry's but slightly larger 1~2 fruits in a bunch and then several bunches on a twig, not on same stems)  but choke cherry might be right?   I'll take pics tomorrow if the trees are not washed away by rain snow ice and flooding.  PIC i'll take is of a tree ~20" DBH


mark M

[Brian Beauchamp]

I believe it is safe to say that it is most likely not a choke cherry if it is 20 inches in diameter. I'm leaning more toward the introduced Wild Cherry (P. avium). I'd still like to see these pics of it though!

[Phorester]

Bore into the trunk with a pocket knife, strip off some bark, or break a small twig on a suspected cherry tree.  Black cherry, Prunus serotina, will have a foul smell and a bitter taste.

[Tom]

The smell when sawing boards reminds me of Cyanide.

[SPIKER]

Oh yes cutting this stuff will burn you're eyes it is so strong!  smell that is  (I find it not all UN-PLESENT unless you really get you're nose down in there!   I took photos and will post them and add them into this post in a little bit.   they are on my system but have to downsize & upload them.  I post larger photos on Photo bucket site and as big as the forum alows for ID here. 

I took some TWIG photos of some maples too as these ones I have seem to fall into a different gen species not showing any particular strong lean to any one species.  twigs appear to be red but bark says sugar or silver...  ??? :

will add them shortly

mark M

[BBTom]

Spiker, if you want to stop by some day soon, I can show you lots of black cherry.  I have about 10,000 or so BDFT of it to saw up. 

I do have, if the water doesn't rise too high with this snow melt.  I won't have, if they all end up in Pleasant Hill Reservoir

[Tom]

BBtom,
That sounds like it would at least make some good Before and After pictures.  Are the logs down?  You need to get those rascals to a good landing or you might need the help of Fla._Deadheader, Swampy and RiverDiver to get'em out of there. :D

[SwampDonkey]

The smell when sawing boards reminds me of Cyanide.

Possibly an Almond smell Tom?

[SwampDonkey]

I don't want to detract from this thread.....but...Now that I have Tom's attention... ;D

Tom!

Have you seen the wood of a lime tree? Someone supposedly grew a lime tree near Saint John, here in NB, Zone 6a I think. He said the limes didn't get big, because of the short cool season. I looked at a board from this tree and it looks, feels and weighs like basswood to me. I was wondering if you had sawn some. You know, basswood flowers smell like lemon or orange flowers. I had some citrus trees in the house I grew back in the 80's, I know the smell. Anyway, basswood have a tiny citrus like seed pod as you know. I'm thinking this guy had basswood and some cornball told him he had a lime tree. Growing citrus in NB climate seems far fetched to me.  :

ok here's a link. This can't be citrus lime though. I don't see a latin name.

Lime Tree

well, dang dabbit!!!  I was right, seems it's a Linden type tree we have here.  :

http://ncrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2003/nc_2003_zasada_001.pdf

[BBTom]

Tom, 

They are all down and in the middle of a 60 acre field.  Most of them have been bucked, but not stocked yet.  Not really much chance of them going anywhere.  I will try to get a picture tomorrow.  Just missed the 10,000 BDFT of Cherry that was sent out today,  Will try to remember to get another pic before the next load.  I also have about that much hard Maple in that field.  Close to that much Ash and Poplar not far away. 

[SwampDonkey]

Native wild pin cherry (fire cherry) can be turned into boards as well and the wood is similar to black cherry, but brown, not pink. The lenticels, horizontal lines in the bark are always prominent throughout it's life. Also, some areas have cherry birch (black birch) that may be confused.

[SwampDonkey]

Tom, you notice I edited my original post back there 2  times (at least) as I solved the mystery.  ;D

[SPIKER]

seems like it took a while to get my pics loaded edited and sent into FF gallery  hee are some pics .

black cherry (different tree than the pic posted above as it has a flood between me & that particular tree today)


not sure if this is a sweet cherry or not but seems to have a bad bug infestation as does a lot of the other cherry's on my place >:(

same tree no hand ~16" DBH



Ok this one is just for fun, see if ya can guess without reading caption??




I SOOO wanted to put this picture in UPSIDE DOWN just for the fun of it  :D


mark M

[SwampDonkey]

First one is black cherry. The next two aren't native, too big for pin. The 4th one I've no clue....well I do after looking in the gallery, but I'm not familiar with bark of that species. The last one is shagbark isn't it?


Black cherry down your way has different bark than mine. Mine is more birch like, but your tree is probably much older than my orchard grown ones. I have seen older tree here further south that have same bark as yours. I'm on the fringe of it's range. 10 miles north of here there is none.

[Tom]

They are all down and in the middle of a 60 acre field.

What a historical shot that will make, especially if the reservoir later inundates the area.  :P

Swamp Donkey,
I see you did.  I would be a bit surprised if you found someone who claimed to be growing citrus outside up there.

[Phorester]

Top picture in #22 is a black cherry.  Second picture with your fingers splayed is what we call sweet cherry here.  Probably has a latin name, but I've never bothered to investigate it.  Foresters here feel that this is an ornamental cherry that escaped into the wild a long time ago.

4th picture I'd say is another black cherry.  But not much to go on.

last picture looks to be a shagbark hickory.

To answer your original question, yep, black or wild cherry trees is where cherry furniture comes from.

[SPIKER]

Phorster:  I was always told that they were sweet cherry too but I haven't fond any ref to them ?   the shag bark is actually the KING NUT variety, the American shag bark's bark is actually less fissured with less peeling here on my place I can post a closer photo of one of them later going to farm shortly (getting a late start.. and will have to make my own breakfast :( )

markM

[SwampDonkey]

By all means man, EAT!! :D :D

[SPIKER]

Missed making my own breakfast, so stopped at the golden arches on way to get gas.  forgot the camera (no more new pics)   Went to the farm & checked my buckets nothing flowing on my place. so headed home early (actually went to see BBTOM down at Maple Wood farms.  Great guy: showed me some more goodies and we took a trip through his woods to see his sugar operation tested some sap.   I got a nice look see at some of his new wood tools and his pile of logs (whew what a pile too!)   8)  we drilled some more taps and he got drilled by one of his trees getting even I guess  :'(  He looks a bit worse for ware after fighting with the stick.  left a nice scrape & red eye that I'm sure he will feel in the AM...  Hope he don't mind me saying tanks again!~8)  I had a great time & got some goodies out of him.  Gave me a couple of his old 7/16 spil;es & some tubing!  I lucked out, I learnt something & got away without stacking & off loading this time...  ;D   I'm sure I'll get a chance to help out more next visit! ;)
Thanks again

MarkM

[BBTom]

Had to go tell all, didn't ya.. 

OK so I did a stupid and tried to knock a dead limb off a tree with my face.  Don't try it,,,, It doesn't work very well,  and hurts a bit too!!!! 

I think that syrup customer was in a big hurry to get out of the sugar shack after seeing blood running down my face.  didn't even want his change.   :D

Mark got to walk some sap line, tap a couple trees, and taste some fresh sap.  It was only about 35 degrees today, but the sap was flowing about a half gallon a minute from 160 taps.  Not ready to boil yet, but will be when I get the rest tapped.  Tapped another 100 after Mark headed for home. 

I still forgot to take pictures of my log pile today,  maybe tomorrow. 

[BBTom]

Here is that picture of the logs laying in the field.  Used to be more....soon to be less...

Most of them are 20-28' lengths except the ones in the piles, they are 8-12'.  Cherry, Maple, Walnut, with a few odd oak mixed in.

[SPIKER]

Tom:

I got out today and used up all those taps ya let me barrow :D  I still need to come get some more if I can?   or if ya have any left to loan out this season!   I tapped 4 trees into 2 buckets, re-walked my woods found where I could if I wanted to tap 15 or so more trees, i think I'll get enough if I tap 5 or 6 other spots into my last 3 buckets.  I'm going after tubing tomorrow (Tuesday after work) and may try & stop over for some taps if ya didn't use all of them up? 
The 4 or 5 trees I tapped today ran almost as well as those up o you're place this weekend!   How is you're eye today?   I got that battery with me and will bring it over to try it out for ya.

Where did ya but the taps at?  I could use a supplier and buy my own so I can let ya have those loaners back ;)

Mark M

[SwampDonkey]

He's now got sap in his veins and getting greedier. ;D

[BBTom]

Mark,

I got more to spare and you are welcome to them.   I will give you the local supplier of taps, tubing, and all types of maple equipment.  They are close to Ashland. 

Ill be around. 

[SPIKER]

Tom:

thanks for the taps:)   8)  I'll be going out Thursday to put them to good use ;)

thanks will sow up with some of the home brew for ya to try out someday soon

mark M

[Randall]

Are the cherries from real Black Cherry trees any good to eat? I bought some from the state to plant mostly for wood but wanted the cherries for pies also.

[SwampDonkey]

They are edible, but your mouth will pucker up when eaten ripe off the tree. They aren't sour, but they are dry. Hard to explain until you've had your first mouthful. I think they would be great for jelly. They have a big stone in them so they would be a nightmare to clean for any other purpose. When you make jelly you drip the cooked cherries in a sack and use the juice. They taste just like choke cherries. Some people may make a 'shrub' from the juice. Look up 'cranberry shrub juice' in Google.

[SwampDonkey]

I always wondered if the guy was serious about his question. He posted one time and never showed back up. No response , nothing. Just makes a feller wonder. Not that we didn't have a good time regardless. ;D

[Dave Shepard]

Maybe he got his answer and has been building cherry furniture nonstop on your good advice? :D :D Maybe he'll be back when he has got it all built.


Dave

[SwampDonkey]

I'll bet Spiker has more Cherry than that guy did.  ;)

[Furby]

Well take a look at this.

Date Registered:  August 29, 2006, 04:06:34 PM
Last Active:  March 02, 2007, 09:48:21 AM

[SwampDonkey]

Well, that about sums it up.

[Furby]

That's about what I figured you'd say! :D

[jim george]

Hi I'm the guy that inquired about the wild cherry trees. I certainly
appreciate all the information supplied. I want to add one more
bit of information on these trees. the fruit is 1/4 inch in diameter
and they are black. The seed makes up most of the cherry. The
Chipmonks shell them. Thanks all.  Jim George

[Furby]

Well there ya go SD!
Welcome back Jim! 8)
Why don't you tell us about your project plans for the trees/lumber?

[SwampDonkey]

HI Jim, we are an inquisitive bunch and have to know everything trees related. 

Can't just leave us hanging from the tree branches. ;D

[ohsoloco]

Speaking of chipmunks shelling cherry stones...I find "shelled" black cherry stones in my firewood pile all the time when I'm loading up the cart.  I've actually broke a few open myself and eaten the contents.  It's not bad, but has kind of a  chemical aftertaste.  I recall it being discussed on here that cherry contains arsenic  ???  Are there any toxic substances in the stones?  I like to eat a few once in a while  :

[SwampDonkey]

I've seen chipmunks going with black cherry seeds bulging from their cheeks.  ;D

On another note, the plantation I'm thinning now is full of black cherry saplings.  Too bad they get black knot so bad. :