Why Are Hardwoods Hard And Softwoods Soft

Trees with seeds that are enclosed such as within a shell or fruit are categorized as hardwood.

Why are hardwoods hard and softwoods soft.

From gymnosperm trees which usually have needles and cones and rays softwood is formed and tracheids transport water and produce sap and have no visible pores because of tracheids under a microscope. The primary distinction between hardwood and softwood is based on the reproductive biology of the tree species. Hardwoods also attend to split when you drive in a nail which is not the case with softwoods. As evidenced by the table above alder and balsa are soft hardwoods while juniper and yew are hard softwoods.

Some softwoods are even harder than the hardwoods depending on their kind and particular species type. Softwoods contain more glucomannans than hardwoods while hardwoods contain more xylans. Hardwoods tend to be much more resilient than softwoods and are often reserved for projects that require maximum durability. The most common types of hardwoods include oak teak sapele iroko and meranti.

Softwoods are not necessarily soft in nature as compare to the hardwood. As these grow at a much slower rate and require longer drying times these factors drive up the cost of the wood. Hardwoods are generally far more resistant to decay than softwoods when used for exterior work. In general terms the names hardwood and softwood do make sense to some extent.

Trees that produce thick resin instead of runny sap need much wider phloem vessels vein like structures to transport it along the trunk. This leaves less space for the cellulose and lignin that provide the strength of the wood. Evergreen trees yield softwood which is easier to cut and work with whereas deciduous hardwood trees are denser sturdier and relatively more difficult to work with. Unlike hardwood the softwoods are more resistant again the insect attack as they are not damp in nature and are usually free of woodworm.

From angiosperm trees that are not monocots and usually broad leaved and has vessel elements that transport water throughout the wood hardwood is formed and these elements appear as pores under a microscope.