fruitwood

plural fruitwoods

1. countableuncountableThe wood of any fruit tree, particularly hardwood from species such as pear and cherry, that is valued for furniture, woodcuts and other applications.

   At Quince in San Francisco, Michael Tusk, the chef, smokes fresh ricotta over fruitwood and spices until it’s lightly browned and crumbly.

   2007 May 13, Amanda Hesser, “The Cheese Stands Alone”, in New York Times

2. countableuncountableIn orchard culture, the woody growth of the scion of any grafted fruit tree above the graft, as opposed to the rootstock, which is the part of the plant below the graft.

   1 more example

   Cem Akin; Leah Rottke (1 August 2011), The Home Orchard Handbook: A Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Fruit Trees Anywhere, Quarry Books, →ISBN, pages 45–: “...let's talk about the qualities of fruitwood (also known as a scion when grafted onto a rootstock), or the portion of the tree above the graft union.”

3. countableuncountableParticular branches or twigs in particular positions, or of particular types or ages, that may be expected to bear fruit in most types of orchard trees, since fruit is not borne randomly all over the tree.

   Warren C. Micke (1996), Almond Production Manual, UCANR Publications, →ISBN, pages 127–: “In mature trees, water sprouts become replacement fruitwood as old wood is removed.”