Telling The Difference Between Hardwood And Softwood

In reality the technical distinction has to do with the reproductive biology of the species.

Telling the difference between hardwood and softwood.

If your landscape consists primarily of softwood trees you won t have to worry about leaves blanketing your lawn and restricting your grass of sunlight. Trees with seeds that are enclosed such as within a shell or fruit are categorized as hardwood. Softwood has a faster rate of growth. The primary distinction between hardwood and softwood is based on the reproductive biology of the tree species.

The primary difference between hardwood and softwood trees in a landscape is that hardwoods shed their leaves once a year whereas softwood trees retain their leaves throughout the year. Softwoods are conifers which have needles rather than traditional leaves and retain them through the winter. In contrast trees with seeds that are not enclosed are softwood. More specifically the type of seeds produced by a tree determines whether it is hardwood or softwood.

Softwoods tend to keep their needles throughout the year. Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood. These coatings can either take the shape of a fruit or a shell. Hardwood has a slower growth rate.

A wood will be classified as a softwood if the seeds don t have any type of coating and are instead dropped to the ground and left to the elements. With this test you press your fingernail against a piece of wood or scratch it along the wood in a direction parallel to the edge of your fingernail. Hardwoods shed their leaves over a period of time in autumn and winter. A wood will be classified as a hardwood if the seeds that the tree produces have a coating.