Balsa has a heartwood which is a pale reddish brown color and a sapwood that is white to off white, or tan in color. It has a medium to coarse texture with a straight grain. The end-grain of a Balsa is diffuse porous. This wood is rated as perishable. Balsa is an extremely easy wood to work with, but be careful, it has a poor holding ability when it comes to nails. It also stains, and finishes well.