DonnaBudgie
Well-known member
Now, I'm really going to confuse everyone (I was confused so y'all should be too!). I just learned that a "hardwood" isn't necessarily "hard" and a "softwood" isn't necessarily "soft"! The terms have to do with how the trees reproduce, not necessarily by how hard their wood is. The Janka scale rates how hard a wood is by how much force it takes to pound a tiny metal ball into the wood.
A hardwood tree is an angiosperm. Angiosperms reproduce with flowers. Most, but not all, are deciduous, broadleaf trees. Most hardwood trees grow slowly (slower than softwoods) and the wood is denser, thus harder.
A softwood tree is a gymnosperm which has "naked" seeds that lacks the protective coating found in flowering tree seeds. Most softwood trees are conifers that grow more quickly and have wood that is less dense than hardwood trees. Trivia: gymno means naked, so I guess ancient gymnasium activities were performed in the nude!
Here's where it gets REALLY strange- most "hardwoods" are harder than most "softwoods". Balsa is by far the softest lightest wood, BUT balsa is a HARDWOOD! White pine is a soft softwood. Poplar, a bit harder than white pine, is a soft hardwood. Southern yellow pine is a softwood but is harder than poplar.
Now y'all are experts on types of trees, types of woods, and ancient gymnasium fashions!
A hardwood tree is an angiosperm. Angiosperms reproduce with flowers. Most, but not all, are deciduous, broadleaf trees. Most hardwood trees grow slowly (slower than softwoods) and the wood is denser, thus harder.
A softwood tree is a gymnosperm which has "naked" seeds that lacks the protective coating found in flowering tree seeds. Most softwood trees are conifers that grow more quickly and have wood that is less dense than hardwood trees. Trivia: gymno means naked, so I guess ancient gymnasium activities were performed in the nude!
Here's where it gets REALLY strange- most "hardwoods" are harder than most "softwoods". Balsa is by far the softest lightest wood, BUT balsa is a HARDWOOD! White pine is a soft softwood. Poplar, a bit harder than white pine, is a soft hardwood. Southern yellow pine is a softwood but is harder than poplar.
Now y'all are experts on types of trees, types of woods, and ancient gymnasium fashions!
