Just plain old pine lumber, but I torch it with hot fire. 
Here’s a video. It probably added close to an hour to the overall process, but it’s worth it. I haven’t applied a finish yet. I may try olive oil since it’s for a plant. I use a cheapo torch setup from Lowe’s. A $3 propane tank with like a $15 nozzle attached to it.
On this stand I used polyurethane because it’s just the stand.
These are for my nandina forest box. My kiddos did the torching. Piece on the far right is before taking a brush to it.
I use these brushes in my drill because doing it by hand with a steel brush was horrible lol. Just be sure to wet the wood first or you’ll end up with fine charcoal dust EVERYWHERE. I swear that I’m still coughing it up. 
