What Is Fruitwood? Cherry, Apple, Pear and Plum Compared

Fruitwood is the wood of fruit-bearing trees, mainly cherry, apple, pear and plum. It is a group of woods, not a single species, and the members are very different: black cherry measures 950 lbf on the Janka scale, while apple measures 1,730 lbf. Only cherry is sold as everyday lumber. The rest mostly show up as small turning blanks, veneer and smoking wood. Below are the real numbers for each tree, how they compare with oak and walnut, and what the word “fruitwood” means when it appears on a furniture tag.

What Is Fruitwood? A Group of Woods, Not One Species

Woodworkers use “fruitwood” as a loose label for timber from trees that are grown, at least somewhere, for their fruit. The four names you will run into most are cherry, apple, pear and plum. They share a look: fine, even texture, straight grain and warm pink-to-brown heartwood. They do not share hardness, price or supply, which is why one general description of fruitwood misleads.

Wood	Species	Janka (lbf)	Dried weight	Heartwood color
Cherry	Prunus serotina (black cherry)	950	35 lbs/ft3	Light pinkish brown, darkening to reddish brown
Plum	Prunus domestica	1,550	50 lbs/ft3	Yellowish brown with pink, orange, red or purple streaks
Pear	Pyrus communis	1,660	43 lbs/ft3	Pale pink to light reddish brown
Apple	Malus spp.	1,730	52 lbs/ft3	Light reddish or grayish brown to deep red-brown

All figures are from the Wood Database. Cherry is the outlier on hardness and weight. It is the lightest and softest of the four, yet it is the only one you can reliably buy as boards.

Only Cherry Is Everyday Lumber

This is the part most fruitwood articles skip. The Wood Database describes availability very differently for each tree, and it changes how you would actually plan a project:

Wood	Lumber availability (Wood Database)	Typical uses
Cherry	Lumber and veneer in adequate supply, mid to upper price for a domestic hardwood	Cabinetry, fine furniture, flooring, millwork, veneer, turnings
Pear	Popular in Europe, limited quantities in the US, larger logs mostly become veneer, high prices	Veneer, marquetry, inlay, carving, musical instruments, furniture
Apple	Seldom available as lumber, usually very small sizes, likely expensive	Fine furniture, tool handles, carving, mallet heads, turned items
Plum	Not commercially available as lumber because the trees are so small, sold mostly as turning blanks	Turned objects, musical instruments, inlay, knife handles

A practical consequence: if a shop tells you a table is “solid fruitwood”, the wood is most likely cherry, because apple, pear and plum rarely come in boards wide enough for a tabletop. The other fruit trees are small stock for small work.

There is also a naming trap inside cherry. The Wood Database notes that black cherry (Prunus serotina) is a timber species, while the sweet cherry (Prunus avium) is the tree grown for edible fruit. American cherry furniture is made from the timber species, not the orchard tree.

How Fruitwood Compares With Oak, Maple and Walnut

Hardness is where the group splits in two. Apple, pear and plum are all harder than red oak, while cherry is softer than every wood in the table below, including black walnut at 1,010 lbf. Walnut is a nut tree and is not counted as a fruitwood, but it is the wood people most often compare cherry against.

Wood	Janka (lbf)	Volumetric shrinkage
Black cherry	950	11.5%
Black walnut (not a fruitwood)	1,010	12.8%
Northern red oak (reference)	1,220	not compared here
Hard maple (reference)	1,450	14.7%
Plum	1,550	not compared here
Pear	1,660	13.8%
Apple	1,730	17.6%

Apple’s volumetric shrinkage of 17.6% is the highest in the table. The Wood Database notes that apple has a high shrinkage rate and moves a lot with the seasons, so wide apple panels are a poor idea. Cherry, at 11.5%, is the most stable of the fruitwoods listed, which is a second reason it is the one that ends up in furniture.

Fruitwood as a Finish Name on Furniture

The word also appears as a color. In furniture listings, “fruitwood” often describes a warm, medium-brown finish with a reddish or golden cast, and the term does not by itself guarantee the piece is made of cherry, apple or pear. A tag that says “fruitwood finish” describes how the piece looks, and the wood underneath may be something else. If you are shopping, ask which species the frame and top are made from and whether the label refers to solid wood, veneer or stain color.

We cover how to tell real from look-alike in our guide to whether fruitwood furniture is good quality. For a broader map of woods, see the types of wood guide.

Working With Fruitwood

Cherry

The Wood Database calls black cherry one of the best all-around woods for workability: stable, straight-grained and easy to machine. Its one common problem is staining. It can turn blotchy, and the Wood Database recommends a sanding sealer before staining or a gel-based stain. Our comparison of gel stain and oil stain explains the difference. The same source reports that breathing black cherry sawdust has been associated with wheezing, so use dust collection and a mask.

Cherry also changes color. Freshly cut heartwood is light pinkish brown and darkens to a medium reddish brown with time and light, which is why stains on other hardwoods are often built to imitate aged cherry.

Apple, pear and plum

Apple is dense enough that it can burn when machined, so keep tools sharp and keep the cut moving, though it glues, stains, finishes and turns well. Pear is easy to work with hand and machine tools and finishes well. Plum glues, turns and finishes well but often has swirled grain, knots and other defects because the trees are small. For more on turning, see our page on turning apple wood.

On dust, the Wood Database reports no health reactions beyond the standard risks of wood dust for apple or pear. Standard precautions still apply: a mask and dust collection whenever you saw or sand.

Fruitwood for Smoking Food

Apple and cherry are also the classic smoking fruitwoods. Product listings for both describe a mild, sweet smoke, and cherry is often sold for the rich color it gives meat. Both are usually bought as chips or chunks rather than lumber, and both suit poultry and pork where heavy smoke would overpower the meat.

Whatever you burn, use only clean, untreated wood, never painted, stained or pressure-treated scraps, and follow your grill or smoker manual. Our guides to cooking with wild cherry wood, applewood as a hardwood and using wood chips in a smoker go into flavor and setup.

Fruitwood Claims Worth Dropping

An older version of this page repeated several claims that do not hold up. Here is what to use instead.

Claim often repeated	What the sources support
Fruitwood is one wood with one color	It is a group. Heartwood ranges from pale pink (pear) to deep red-brown (apple), and Janka hardness runs from 950 to 1,730 lbf
Fruitwood is easy to buy as furniture lumber	Only cherry is in adequate supply. Apple is seldom lumber, and plum is not commercially available as lumber
Fruitwood is naturally rot resistant and outdoor safe	Apple and pear heartwood are rated non-durable for decay. Black cherry is very durable but is not typically used outdoors
Cooking with fruitwood has health benefits	No source supports this. Smoking wood adds flavor, not nutrition or digestion benefits
“Fruitwood” on a tag means the piece is fruit tree lumber	It can describe a finish color, so ask which species the piece is made from

Quick Rules for Buying or Choosing Fruitwood

• Assume cherry for boards. Apple, pear and plum are usually small stock, turning blanks or veneer.
• Check the species, not the label. “Fruitwood” can be a finish color rather than a wood.
• Plan for movement in apple. Its 17.6% volumetric shrinkage is the highest of the group.
• Seal cherry before staining. Use a sanding sealer or gel stain to avoid blotching.
• Keep it indoors. Apple and pear heartwood are non-durable, and cherry is not typically used outside.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is fruitwood?

Fruitwood is the wood of fruit-bearing trees, mainly cherry, apple, pear and plum. It is a group of woods rather than one species, and the trees differ in size, hardness and how easily the lumber can be bought.

Is cherry a fruitwood?

Yes. Cherry is a fruit tree genus (Prunus), and it is the fruitwood most often seen as furniture lumber. Most American cherry lumber comes from black cherry (Prunus serotina), a timber species rated 950 lbf on the Janka scale, rather than from the sweet cherry trees grown for eating.

Is fruitwood harder than oak?

Apple (1,730 lbf), pear (1,660 lbf) and plum (1,550 lbf) are all harder than northern red oak at 1,220 lbf. Cherry is the exception at 950 lbf, which is softer than red oak.

Is walnut a fruitwood?

No. Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a nut tree, and at 1,010 lbf it is close to cherry in hardness. Walnut is often compared with cherry, but it is not called a fruitwood.

Can you use fruitwood for smoking food?

Yes. Apple and cherry are widely sold as smoking chips and chunks, and product listings describe a mild, sweet smoke. Use only clean, untreated wood and follow your smoker or grill manual for amounts.

Is fruitwood good for outdoor projects?

Generally no. The Wood Database rates apple and pear heartwood as non-durable for decay. Black cherry heartwood is rated very durable but is not typically used outdoors, so keep fruitwood projects indoors or well finished.

Conclusion

Fruitwood is a family of woods from cherry, apple, pear and plum trees, not a single species. Cherry is the one you can actually buy as lumber, at 950 lbf, while apple (1,730 lbf), pear (1,660 lbf) and plum (1,550 lbf) are harder, scarcer and mostly used for small work. When you see the word on a furniture tag, treat it as a color hint until the seller names the species.