What Are The Characteristics Of Hardwood

This guide features 20 of the most abundant and most often used hardwood species.

What are the characteristics of hardwood.

By staff writer last updated apr 3 2020 8 19 28 am et hardwood comes from deciduous trees with broad leaves that shed their leaves during portions of the year while softwood comes from conifers that remain green throughout the year and have needles instead of leaves. If you want information about hardwood tree characteristics as well as a hardwood vs. The incredible variety of natural and manufactured wood types have enabled modern woodworking industry to find a perfect wood for any use. 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.

Hardwood tree characteristics apply to many of the tree species in this country. The softwood larch and cypress are exceptions. What are characteristics of hardwood and softwood. American hardwood information center the authoritative resource for american hardwoods.

Most do not shed their needle like leaves during the year. 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. Please read more on density here. There are over a dozen species of birch trees native to north america but the most common are white birch yellow birch and black birch.

In addition to the basics where they grow general description and abundance. This is due to the variety of characteristics apparent in different timbers including density grain pore size growth and fibre pattern flexibility and ability to be steam bent. Birch is a native hardwood that comes from the genus betula. Distribution throughout midwestern and eastern u s.

In terms of price they are often less expensive than hardwood. Most softwood have a lower density than hardwood weighs lower. Different species of hardwood lend themselves to different end uses or construction processes. Softwood discussion read on.

Yellow birch and white birch are the two most commonly found in woodworking. The term hardwood tree is a botanical grouping of trees with similar characteristics. The guide to american hardwood species. This guide can help you learn about different wood types wood characteristics and wood identification no matter if you are seeking for hardwood or softwood.

Pennsylvania virginia west virginia and new york. Their growth rate is faster than hardwood.