---
title: "What Is Heartwood and sapwood? Stump Grinding Glossary"
description: "Sapwood is the living outer wood of a trunk that carries water, and heartwood is the dead inner core that gives the tree strength."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/heartwood-sapwood
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

Tree

# Heartwood and sapwood

Sapwood is the living outer wood of a trunk that carries water, and heartwood is the dead inner core that gives the tree strength.

A trunk has two main wood zones. Northern Woodlands says sapwood is the living, outermost portion of a woody stem or branch, while heartwood is the dead, inner wood, which often comprises the majority of a stem's cross-section.

Sapwood carries water from the roots to the crown. As a tree ages, inner wood stops moving water and becomes heartwood. Heartwood is often darker, but color alone can mislead. Not all heartwood is dark.

On a stump, the rings you see are these two zones. A [stump grinder](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-grinder) cuts through both. Heartwood can be dense or rot-resistant in some species, and decay fungi can attack either part. See [stump fungi](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-fungi) and [hardwood and softwood](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/hardwood-softwood).

## Related terms

-   [Hardwood and softwood](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/hardwood-softwood)
-   [Fungi on stumps](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump-fungi)
-   [Natural decay](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/natural-decay)
-   [Stump](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/stump)

## Sources

1.  [Northern Woodlands: What Is the Difference Between Sapwood and Heartwood?](https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/what_is_the_difference_between_sapwood_and_heartwood)
2.  [Northern Woodlands: What Is the Difference Between Sapwood and Heartwood?](https://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/what_is_the_difference_between_sapwood_and_heartwood)