Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
My drawer sides are not fashion statements. I pick drawer side material that I can plane easily and orient it in the drawer so that I will be planing into up sloping grain. I haven't built a drawer from anything but poplar in a decade of more. It is not hard to find poplar that planes reliably.

(this drawer needed tidying up after the slip was installed so I could not slide it against the bench where I prefer it.....but no matter it works anyway.