Box Elder is our favorite wood to stain and dye. It takes color easily and accurately. It is a joy to work with, stable, compliant and smells like fresh cut lawn. Similar to maple in that we often find unique figures such as flame, popcorn quilt, tight curl or fiddleback when we peel back the bark. When bugs burrow into box elder, the wood turns red around the holes, which of course, F2 loves to find – opportunities for epoxy artistry to shine. Figured box elder is most available in a diameter of 30-60 inches.