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Black Cherry

Hardwood11

Hardwood11

It is going to be a good fall!
I planted 10 in Minnesota & they are growing fast! Has anyone planted Black Cherry or harvested logs in Iowa.

I know the command a premium if the quality is there .
 
Harvested some logs off our farm years ago, made real nice wood! I knew of a big black cherry creek bottom near by that I always drooled over. Dreamt of someday being able to mill them... dozers took it all out in a couple hours two years ago.
 
Planted tons. Fastest growing hardwood I know of.

Use to be worth as much as black walnut. Now no one will even buy it in Iowa.
 
LoessHillsArcher said:
Harvested some logs off our farm years ago, made real nice wood! I knew of a big black cherry creek bottom near by that I always drooled over. Dreamt of someday being able to mill them... dozers took it all out in a couple hours two years ago.
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That’s terrible! Depressing
 
I have some beautiful ones on my farm. Very straight. I was hoping to someday have someone log them. Too bad the market died.
 
i started planting black cherries in 2020 and have done about 25-50 per year and they are growing fast and seem to take our winters pretty well. Planted/tubed and havent done much since and thyre growing well. I always liked black cherries so as soon as we bought our place, we started planting them.
 
brausch said:
Not positive, but I have heard that maple can be used to mimic cherry, at a much more affordable cost - which is the main reason cherry is no longer worth the premium.
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Similar grain pattern and most people may not be able to tell the difference once stained.

We just dont have the climate to grow quality. Grows better trees farther north.
 
bingo on above. MN is premium climate for it. We too warm down here. They don’t get to maturity or size often. Thus not much of a market or buyers. MN, wi, etc have some of the best cherry timber you can find.
 
Great growers and I do love that about black cherry. This example.... was planted LAST spring (2025) as a small bare root sapling. Its now 9' tall less than 2 full growing seasons. (Thats a 5' tree tube)

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I sold some 3-4 years ago most were good sized but average grade got .60 a board foot one real nice one got 1.00 a board foot for it. The southern Iowa ones seem to have soft spots in the the buyers call "dout"
 
I’ve got TONS of them at my place (stones throw from MN). Hundreds and hundreds. Spread like crazy too. I had a buyer take a few very large walnut a few years ago and he bought several of the real large cherry- they were big though- and he didn’t look at anything even decent sized.
 
Was told recently from a logger they aren't worth much anymore. Apparently they just don't have the market they once had. Too bad because I have some beauties on my property. Very nice looking wood.

Also had a forester tell me they are shallow rooted so if you do a timber harvest and they are left standing, next to an exposed opening...go ahead and have them selected for harvest because they'll tip over in the next wind storm. Take that fwiw.
 
TheBig8 said:
Was told recently from a logger they aren't worth much anymore. Apparently they just don't have the market they once had. Too bad because I have some beauties on my property. Very nice looking wood.

Also had a forester tell me they are shallow rooted so if you do a timber harvest and they are left standing, next to an exposed opening...go ahead and have them selected for harvest because they'll tip over in the next wind storm. Take that fwiw.
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If you had Amish in your area, you could possibly cut those and have them milled? If you have storage as they dry ? It’d be such a waste to see them die off …

I’m planning on doing that in Minnesota.
 
TheBig8 said:
Was told recently from a logger they aren't worth much anymore. Apparently they just don't have the market they once had. Too bad because I have some beauties on my property. Very nice looking wood.

Also had a forester tell me they are shallow rooted so if you do a timber harvest and they are left standing, next to an exposed opening...go ahead and have them selected for harvest because they'll tip over in the next wind storm. Take that fwiw.
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When in the "open" they definitely are more prone to heavy winds tipping them over than other species. Good advice!!
 
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