Cherry is a moderately hard wood - heavy and strong. It is generally a straight grained and uniformly textured wood characterized by its red undertones. Given that - it may range in color from a light to dark reddish brown heartwood with tones from greenish to white sapwood. There is also a natural occurrence of small knots and pitch pockets or wormholes in the surface of the wood. Cherry is well known for its response to artificial and natural light sources and will develope a rich and lustrous patina in the colors noted above. These variations are often quite visible with natural or light finishes while appearing less on darker stains - shielding the wood from various light sources. (door image may not depict the correct species of wood)