What Is Meant By Hardwood And Softwood

Softwoods are frequently used as building materials.

What is meant by hardwood and softwood.

People who work with wood or heat with wood have probably heard the terms hardwood and softwood but most people really don t know what is meant by these terms. Softwood definition any wood that is relatively soft or easily cut. However the hardness of the wood has little to do with it despite what the words imply. 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.

Meaning pronunciation translations and examples. But the truth is that hardwood and softwood refers to something completely different. Hardwood trees are deciduous meaning they shed their leaves once a year. Oak and maple are examples of hardwood while pine and fir are examples of softwood.

The other class of wood is hardwood which comes from angiosperms such as walnut hickory or maple. Softwood is the wood that comes from gymnosperm trees which have needles and produce cones. Angiosperm is a greek term meaning vessel seed these types of trees include walnut maple and oak trees. The hardwood softwood terminology does make some sense.

Upon reading these terms though you may assume that hardwood species are physically hard whereas softwood species are soft. Gymnosperm is a greek term meaning naked seed. Evergreens do tend to be less dense than deciduous trees and therefore easier to cut while most hardwoods tend to be more dense and therefore sturdier. Softwood is the wood from trees such as pines that grow quickly and can be cut easily.

The primary distinction between hardwood and softwood is based on the reproductive biology of the tree species. Most liquid rooting compounds are sold in concentrate form and must be diluted with water. Softwood refers to lumber that has been cut from a coniferous or an evergreen tree. Hardwood cuttings require a stronger formula than softwood cuttings.

Trees with seeds that are enclosed such as within a shell or fruit are categorized as hardwood. Softwoods come from evergreen and conifer trees such as pine cedar or spruce. However hardwood trees don t include monocots like palm trees and bamboo. 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.