CHERRY is a moderately hard wood, heavy and strong. It is generally a straight grained, 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, pitch pockets or wormholes in the surface of the wood. Cherry is well known for its response to artificial and natural light sources, developing a rich and lustrous patina. These variations are often quite visible with natural or light finishes while appearing less on darker stains, shielding the wood from various light sources.