Telling The Difference Between Hardwood And Softwood

Hardwood has a slower growth rate.

Telling the difference between hardwood and softwood.

How to tell the difference between hardwood and softwood the general rule for distinguishing whether a wood is hardwood or softwood is to use the fingernail test. In contrast trees with seeds that are not enclosed are softwood. Softwood is typically less expensive compared to hardwood. 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.

The primary distinction between hardwood and softwood is based on the reproductive biology of the tree species. Softwoods are conifers which have needles rather than traditional leaves and retain them through the winter. These coatings can either take the shape of a fruit or a shell. Softwood has a faster rate of growth.

Informally trees categorized as hardwoods are usually deciduous meaning they lose their leaves in the autumn. 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. 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. 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. Hardwoods shed their leaves over a period of time in autumn and winter. Hardwood is typically more expensive than softwood. Trees with seeds that are enclosed such as within a shell or fruit are categorized as hardwood.