I've made bows from both choke cherry and black cherry. The choke cherry was staves and did seem more willing to bend. It checked badly, regardless of what I did to it, but I didmanage to get one bow out of it. Black cherry was boards, backed with maple and ash. Of all the bows I've made from cherry, not one has broke, either during tillering or after. Mind you, you can't ask too much from it. Most I've done is 40#, all flatbows with non-bendy handle. I made a 35# flatbow for a woman in 2006, and she still shoots it regularly. Looks as good as the day I made it.