Color/Appearance: The sapwood may be light yellow or white or pinkish and is a fairly narrow band around the heartwood. The heartwood is salmon pink to brownish, sometimes with a greenish tinge, darkening upon exposure to a deep reddish brown with a golden luster. Cherry's color ages extremely well, deepening and taking on a rich patina with age, particularly with exposure to sunlight. Relatively rare pieces will have red heartwood.

Grain/Pore: The grain is usually straight but also found as curly and sometimes "ropey". When quartersawn, it will sometimes exhibit small, tight, ray flakes that are very attractive. Brown-coloured pith flecks, and small gum pockets are common. Cherry's grain is usually more subdued than some other hardwoods. Texture is close, firm, and uniform with a rich, satiny luster

A spalted example (Directly above).