A good woodworker need not be an expert botanist, but it help if you have a basic knowledge of trees. Knowing how wood 'grows' will help in all aspects of woodworking, especially when selecting your wood. The ability to select the best material will avoid having to deal with potential problems as the wood is machined, and defects that may even makeit to the finished product.

An important part of woodworking is knowing how wood behaves as it machined and dried. The outer layer is the bark of the tree which serves as protection. Just below the bark is the vascular cambium or bast. This is the part of the tree that conducts the nutrients and sugars the tree needs to survive. The cambium layer is also the only layer that grows thickness in the tree and is what creates the annual growth rings.

The sapwood layer conduct the sap upwards from the roots. Some species of tress will have sapwood that is paler than the heartwood, while other trees will not have this distinction. Depending on the species, either the sapwood or the heartwood will be the 'valuable' part. The heartwood makes up the bulk of the tree. This part is no longer living, but supplies the strength of the tree. As the tree grows, the sapwood becomes heartwood as new layers of sapwood are added each year. The pith, which is the oldest part of the tree is structually weak and is usually bot usuable to a woodworker.