It looks like the same species as the one on the left. So, no, I do not think it’s hickory.

Both cherry.

They are both cherry

Thank you all for your input. You have helped put my mind to ease on this.

A lovely piece of curly cherry. Use it someplace special.

@bunnybluebird

That is definitely cherry. while the grain in hickory is similar, the hickory has a more circular pattern and cherry is more linear. And of course, hickory has a golden hue, while cherry has its trademark red hue.

Here is a cherry kitchen with a natural stain. Happy remodeling!

Best

Kitchen Magic

Here's a picture of our natural unstained cherry drawer fronts, right after DH put them on. Look how different all the pieces are!

Those look great, are you planning on staining/finishing them? If you're not fond of the variations in grain, stain can sometimes help blend them.

Unless you are working with a custom shop and have specified a certain look, it's likely you get 'run of the mill' so there are variations. Wood is a natural product and there can be all sorts of grain patterns even in the same tree.

Thanks toxcrusadr

The panels are factory finished so I would not dream of staining or doing anything to compromise that.

The question came up because the previously purchased (from the same cabinet maker, two years ago) cabinet doors, drawer fronts and end panels (>20) all had the same/similar less busy grain pattern. The recently purchased panels are so different, just wanted to make sure that we did not get a different wood species or perhaps different grade than what was ordered.

When asked, the cabinet maker replied that the variations were due to differences in the grain, but were considered to be within their spec. Getting confirmation here that it is indeed cherry was very helpful. In the meantime, we have accepted the differences in this natural product and because the color match is good, and the panels are not being used in prominent areas - we've found that they do blend in with the rest of the kitchen cabinets.