Hardwood vs Softwood: What’s the Difference?

Nothing compares with wood; it's the oldest, most flexible material known to mankind. It is also nature's only natural renewable resource. The remarkable versatility of wood makes it ever present in our everyday lives.

This is our guide to Hardwood vs. Softwood with some links to interesting articles. You can read about hardwoods and softwoods on our wood database .

Hardwood vs. Softwood

Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup, and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. 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.

Hardwood comes from angiosperm — or flowering plants — such as oak, maple, or walnut, that are not monocots. Softwood comes from gymnosperm trees, usually evergreen conifers, like pine or spruce.

Hardwood vs Softwood: What’s the Difference?

Different types of construction projects call for different kinds of timber. Both hardwood and softwood can be used for everything from structural to decorative. But what is the difference between these two types of wood? You might be reading this and thinking ‘how can you write a whole blog on something so self-explanatory? Surely softwood is in fact ‘soft wood’ and hardwood is ‘hard wood’’. But it’s not actually that simple, the terms softwood and hardwood don’t necessarily refer to the density or hardness of the wood itself. Confused?

HARDWOOD VS. SOFTWOOD: UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE

Wood is often classified into two categories including hardwood and softwood. But, the difference between these two types of wood isn’t in their name. That is, hardwood isn’t necessarily denser than softwood.

For instance, yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods. Likewise, balsa wood is classified as a hardwood and yet it’s one of the least dense and softest types of wood. So what’s the difference between hardwood and softwood if the difference isn’t in their name?

What makes a wood hard or soft? To classify a wood as hard or soft depends on the seeds that the tree produces. A wood will be classified as a hardwood if the seeds that the tree produces have a coating. These coatings can either take the shape of a fruit or a shell. A wood will be classified as a softwood if the seeds don’t have any type of coating and are instead dropped to the ground and left to the elements.

The Difference Between Softwood And Hardwood

You’d be forgiven for having a look at the title of this article and having a little chuckle to yourself, thinking we’ve completely lost the plot! Surely softwood is soft and hardwood is hard, no? It can’t be much simpler than that, you might think. But no, the terms softwood and hardwood don’t refer to the density or hardness of the wood itself. These are terms that refer right back to the tree and how it reproduces itself.

Trees, without exception reproduce by producing seeds, but the seeds of different trees vary and it is this that lies at the heart of the difference between a soft and a hardwood. Trees that produce hardwood are known as angiosperms and produce seeds that are covered, either with a skin or a shell. Such seeds could be fruits or nuts. Softwoods on the other hand come from trees that are known as gymnosperms. The seeds of this type of tree have no covering althought they might fall to the ground in some form of protection eg. the hard cones of a pine tree, but are subsequently distributed by the wind over a broad area.

What is the difference between a hardwood and a softwood?

As it turns out, a hardwood is not necessarily a harder material (more dense) and a softwood is not necessarily a softer material (less dense). For example, balsa wood is one of the lightest, least dense woods there is, and it's considered a hardwood.

The distinction between hardwood and softwood actually has to do with plant reproduction. All trees reproduce by producing seeds, but the seed structure varies. Hardwood trees are angiosperms, plants that produce seeds with some sort of covering. This might be a fruit, such as an apple, or a hard shell, such as an acorn.

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Hardwood vs. Softwood - help choosing the right timber