Cherry heartwood varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and on exposure to light. In contrast, cherry sapwood is creamy white. Cherry wood has a fine uniform, straight grain, satiny, smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks and small gum pockets. Cherry is easy to machine, nails and glues well and when sanded and stained, it produces an excellent smooth finish. Our character cherry butcher block countertops are made by mixing the heartwood and sapwood and may also have some pith flecks and small gum pockets.