I was given some applewood from the neighbors
next door. Several sections of it have various
colors besides the regular brown color. The
colors range from a pinkish-white to almost a
pinkish-rose, and these color areas have a
different texture. What is this all about? I
have been working more of the wood into a
nightstand and it will be quite nice to look
at when completed with a finish on it.

Reply to post by Scott Clay-Poole, on February 09, 2000 at 16:05:29:

The colors that you see in various woods can result from several factors. Each species of wood will have a 'natural' color, the usual or normal color found in most individuals. But site factors such as mineral content of the soil and even unusualy climatic conditions can cause the contents of the wood to vary.

Certain types of diseases can also cause changes in the color patterns. Fungus pathogens and saprophytes often cause streaking in the wood, as they alter the chemical composition of the cells they invade. One interesting example is a bright red stain of boxelder wood caused by a Fusarium fungus infection.

Reply to post by Russ Carlson, on February 09, 2000 at 16:05:29:

One of the prettiest woods I've seen is grapefruit, which becomes yellow, and is sometimes streaked with a contrasting purple. It is not easy to work though.