Is It Hardwood Or Softwood

An example is balsa a hardwood that is quite soft when compared to the wood from yew trees which is quite durable and hard.

Is it hardwood or softwood.

The most common hardwood species available in north america retailers are. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a hardwood that is softer than softwoods. Oak maple walnut cherry and poplar. And while generally speaking the average hardwood is a good deal harder and more durable than the average softwood there are examples of deciduous hardwoods that are much softer than the hardest softwoods.

On the other hand softwood comes from coniferous trees which we call evergreens. For example a low quality hardwood is actually softer and less dense than a good quality softwood. Wood is generally categorized as either softwood or hardwood and it is a common misconception that softwood is soft and workable while hardwood is hard and durable. However this is not what qualifies a piece of wood as either soft or hard.

These trees will not shed their leaves during winter and they bear cones or uncovered seeds that fall to the ground and germinate. However just because the tree is classified as a hardwood doesn t necessarily make it the best choice. Hardwood comes from angiosperm or flowering plants such as oak maple or walnut that are not monocots. Hardwood trees take a longer time to grow than softwood trees.

From angiosperm or flowering plants such as oak maple or walnut that are not monocots the hardwood is formed by these while from gymnosperm trees usually evergreen conifers like pine or spruce the softwood is formed. Let s define softwood as any pine or fir species including cedar and everything else as hardwood.