I've used cherry. Great flavor! However, it burns about twice as fast as other woods. That's the major downside.
I actually like several months, but does depend on the age of the wood, alive or dead and ambient conditions. I just tend to cut it up and store it for a while.Wild cherry just came down in the storm (Sandy) lucky/unlucky it came down in my yard. I chopped it up and split some. How long should I let it season before I use it?