Is It Hardwood Or Softwood

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.

Is it hardwood or softwood.

When purchased by the cord 128 cubic feet hardwood will produce more btu s british thermal units than a similar cord of 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. Hardwood trees take a longer time to grow than softwood trees.

However just because the tree is classified as a hardwood doesn t necessarily make it the best choice. Hardwood originates from deciduous trees that shed leaves during winter. These trees will not shed their leaves during winter and they bear cones or uncovered seeds that fall to the ground and germinate. The most common hardwood species available in north america retailers are.

An example is balsa a hardwood that is quite soft when compared to the wood from yew trees which is quite durable and hard. Let s define softwood as any pine or fir species including cedar and everything else as hardwood. Hardwood comes from angiosperm or flowering plants such as oak maple or walnut that are not monocots. On the other hand softwood comes from coniferous trees which we call evergreens.

Oak maple walnut cherry and poplar. For example a low quality hardwood is actually softer and less dense than a good quality softwood.