American Cherry Hardwood Flooring

American cherry should not to be confused with other domestic and exotic species with similar names, such as Brazilian cherry, or jatoba, which is extremely dense and strong and has a different color and texture compared to black cherry.

The lustrous heartwood of American cherry ranges from light to dark reddish brown, contrasting sharply with the sapwood, which may be light brown to pale with a light pinkish tone; however, between boards there may be significant color variations. Black cherry is extremely light-sensitive, so there is a strong color change and darkening over a short period time when the wood is first exposed to light.

Black cherry wood flooring is strong but moderately hard with excellent shock resistance. Black cherry has good machining, sanding, and holding ability, and is high in bending strength. Second only to black walnut in value as a fine hardwood species, black cherry is commonly wood flooring borders and accents.