Not sure what you have going on there to get the different colors but I've seen a fair amount of variation in different staves of the buckthorn I have here. One thing I have noticed is If I let one season for months with the bark on the sapwood will be dark and have variations in the color along the surface after I remove the bark. If I strip the bark off a stave just after cutting the tree and then seal it right away it will usually just remain a typical white sapwood color.
Also though I'll mention that I've had some issues with sapwood rot on some staves that season with the bark on which has caused some tension failure at the backs. Because of that I've been stripping the bark and sealing the backs right from the start recently on my buckthorn. None of this probably applies to what you have going on with yours, just thinking aloud I guess.