Differences Between Hardwood and Softwood

Hardwood is generally obtained from broad leaves or deciduous trees where as the softwood is obtained from trees having needle shaped yes or conifers. The major differences between hardwood and softwood are given as under.

S.no	Hardwood	Softwood
1	Hardwood is dark in color.	Softwood is light in color.
2	Hardwood is heavy in weight.	Softwood is light in weight.
3	Hardwoods are harder and denser.	Softwoods are comparatively lighter.
4	Hard wood has less resin content.	Feed softwoods are resinous.
5	Hardwood doesn’t split quickly.	Softwood gets split quickly.
6	Hardwood is difficult to work.	Softwood is easy to work.
7	Its annual rings are close and often indistinct.	Its annual rings are well spaced and quit distinct.
8	It is slow growing.	It is fast growing.
9	It has good tensile and shear resistance.	It has good tensile resistance but is weak across the fibers.
10	It doesn’t catch fire very soon.	It catches fire very soon.
11	Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood.	Softwood is typically less expensive compared to hardwood.
12	Examples of hardwood trees are alder, beech, hickory, mahogany, maple, teak, oak, and walnut.	Examples of softwood trees are cedar, douglas fir, juniper, pine, spruce, redwood, and yew.