The Difference Between Hardwoods And Softwoods

Tree species are classified scientifically not according to the kind of lumber they yield but rather by the type of seed they produce.

Softwoods are gymnosperm (literally, naked seed) trees that characteristically have needle-like foliage they retain year round (hence the term “evergreen”). Some species in this group are also known as conifers because they produce seed cones. The seeds are usually lightweight enough to be scattered by the wind after the parent tree releases them. This category includes such species as pine, fir, spruce, hemlock, cedar, and redwood.

Hardwoods are angiosperm (covered seed) trees with flat or broad leaves that typically are shed each autumn and regrow in the spring and summer. These leaf-shedding species are also known as deciduous trees, and they include many familiar lumber varieties—red and white oak, maple, birch, poplar, walnut, and cherry. Their seeds are often enclosed inside a protective shell (think nuts and acorns) or within fruit; they are distributed by falling to the ground or are scattered by animals that use the seeds or their fruit as a food source.

As you might expect, there are a few exceptions to these generalities, and not all woods fall neatly into one category or the other. Boxwood and holly, for example, are small hardwood trees that don’t shed their leaves annually. Balsa, the extremely soft and lightweight wood used widely for craft and modelmaking projects, is technically a hardwood. Conversely, some softwood species such as longleaf heart pine or old-growth Douglas fir are denser and heavier than some hardwoods such as aspen.

In general, these designations are mostly accurate, which is why they have become the popular terminology. Hardwood tree species tend to produce dense and hard lumber, while the lumber from softwood species tends to be less dense and lighter in weight. The scientific classifications, however, are based on seed type and foliage characteristics.