Black Cherry

[Hardwood11]

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 .

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

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.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

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.

 

[Hardwood11]

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.

That’s terrible! Depressing

 

[Hardwood11]

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.

That’s odd.. we had a guy buy some here in Minnesota, he paid quite a bit…. He makes bowls. It’s a beautiful wood. !

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

That’s odd.. we had a guy buy some here in Minnesota, he paid quite a bit…. He makes bowls. It’s a beautiful wood. !

Cherry floors, cupboards, furniture use to be fairly commonplace. Just dont see cherry much anymore for whatever reason.

 

[Hardwood11]

I’d love to have some of mine milled here in Minnesota. It’s on the to-do list ! Man cave material!

 

[bwese]

I have some beautiful ones on my farm. Very straight. I was hoping to someday have someone log them. Too bad the market died.

 

[brausch]

Cherry floors, cupboards, furniture use to be fairly commonplace. Just dont see cherry much anymore for whatever reason.

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.

 

[SEMNII]

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.

 

[Hardwood11]

I bet some Amish would mill it for you . To sell or use it ? They do in my area .

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

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.

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.

 

[Sligh1]

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.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

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)

 

[hans1]

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"

 

[newfarmer]

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.