The wood was described as pine, but its heft (or lack thereof) feels more like balsa. The instructions do not tell you the vertical pieces have to go in a specific direction. So use the location of the drilled holes to guide you. Also note that the vertical pieces go on the inside of the base piece and the shelves go on the outside of the vertical pieces. It will save you a lot of time! Otherwise, it looks nice enough. I've yet to put any plants on it.