No, but usually yes, but not always, although the fact that it is generally harder than softwood does happen to be the reason they are both named as such.
To elaborate, I will explain my own understanding of the differences without using the words 'gymnosperm', 'angiosperm', 'longitudinal tracheids' and 'medullary rays'. Nobody needs to read those words again.
Start with the basics then...
Okay, so Hardwood trees are deciduous trees such as oak, birch, apple, cherry, beech and so on. They lose their leaves in the winter and those leaves are often wide, hence their other name, 'Broadleaf' trees. They often have thick branches and wide canopies when they are mature. Their seeds vary tremendously in shape, from heavy conkers and walnuts to delicate Samara (helicopter) seeds that spin and flutter away from their branches. Their lifecycle results in their wood usually being harder, and I'll get into this in a bit more detail below.
Softwood trees are evergreen trees such as pine, fir, conifer, redwood, spruce and cedar. They stay green all year round and are usually tall and pointed in shape, with their canopies being narrow and branches fairly thin in relation to their height. Their leaves are needle-shaped and they usually grow cone-shaped seeds that we tend to group together under the name 'Pinecones'.
The general differences in shape are shown in this slightly patronisingly simple graphic (taken from https://infoabouttrees.com),
But why are there two types of tree?
A fine question. The answer is climate.
Hardwood trees are well suited to temperate and stable climates with warm, predictable Summers and cold, predictable Winters, flanked by the equally predictable Springs and Autumns. They spread their canopies wide to maximise their access to nourishing sunshine, and this requires thick, heavy branches and broad leaves that act like solar panels. Their method of seed dispersal often involves simply letting go of seeds and hoping they end up somewhere good, so they need to be able to cover a wide area to increase chances of success. In Winter, they shed their leaves to minimise the amount of snow that can weigh down on them. Heavy snow fall on a thick canopy would add tonnes of weight and risk damage to their branches so, in Autumn, they restrict nutrient flow up the trunk, cause leaves to die and fall off, absorb the nutrients from the decaying leaves and use energy stores in their roots to hibernate until the Spring returns.
Softwood trees are well suited to colder climates because their narrow seeds and cone shaped profile means that snow cannot settle in any great quantity on them. If a particularly long branch becomes laden with snow, its thin and brittle nature allows it to break off without causing serious damage to the tree. The sap is thick and sticky, with natural antifreeze properties to prevent it freezing inside the tree. Seeds are mainly designed to spread large distances using the wind so a wide canopy is unnecessary. The tree continues to grow all year round without a hibernation period.
This is fascinating. You are fascinating. Which type of wood is better?
Thank you. There is no 'better' here because hardwoods and softwoods both have their benefits. Cox and Sons uses both types of wood in different parts of a product.
Hardwoods grow more slowly and this makes their wood generally denser, resulting in harder, heavier, stronger timber. There are exceptions to this such as Balsa wood, which is about as durable as an ice-cream cone but is technically still a hardwood. We don't use Balsa for our builds though, don't worry. This slower growing means they take up to, and often over, 100 years to reach maturity and suitability for milling into lumber. It also means that they take longer to dry out. The denser nature of hardwoods makes them better for use in areas that need more resistance to knocks or areas that need to look and feel more premium. Tabletops are a good example, as are drawer and cupboard handles. Hardwoods can be cut into thinner or more delicate shapes without breaking and they can be finished to a smoother surface.
Softwoods grow more quickly and reach suitability for milling into lumber within about 40 years, so immediately they become 2 -3 times more available than hardwoods. They also dry more quickly because they are not as dense in structure. This increased availability means a lower price. They are excellent in structural projects because they have high compressive strength along their grain direction, but they are less excellent if used in a situation that places stress across their grain direction. For example, if one end of a hardwood broom stick was wedged into a hole and then weights were hung from the other end, it would support more weight than a softwood broomstick. What a random analogy.
Here is a handy table to list the main differences between hardwoods and softwoods. As an ex-teacher, I couldn't help spotting a spelling mistake:
So do you use both types?
Absolutely. It's easier, quicker and less wearing on the tools to work with softwood, it keeps the prices as competitive as possible for our customers and it makes no sense to use hardwood for a painted or hidden part of a build unless that part is involved in the weight bearing structure across the grain and subjected to a heavy load. A great example of this is a farmhouse table designed for a customer recently. The 2.4 metre long tabletop is oak (hardwood). The legs are redwood (softwood) because the load is vertical through the grain, where softwood excels. This saves the customer several hundred pounds and the wood is painted so an expensive hardwood would have been completely wasted there. The bracing beams that join the legs together are made from oak on this table because it has a thick, long top that requires a high degree of support. It might be okay with softwood beams but we have an outstanding reputation to consider and we don't want a table bowing after two years because we didn't engineer it properly. If the table was 1.2 metres long, we might make the beams from softwood because the tabletop would be supported well enough over that much shorter length.
Our kitchen islands are built using softwood frames, which are then painted in the customer's chosen colour. The top is made from a hardwood such as Oak, Cherry, Iroko, Beech, Walnut, Wenge, Ash, Maple or Sapele and protected using products that allow the beauty of the wood to be appreciated. Specifically, Osmo Wood Protector and two coats of Osmo Topoil. If an island was ordered unpainted, we would work with the customer to incorporate hardwood for the parts of the frame, doors and drawers on show. This island unit (with handles still to fit) shows the beauty of the oiled oak worktop against the painted softwood frame.
So that's it. We use both softwoods and hardwoods for their individual strengths and benefits. We keep our builds simple, expertly considered and designed to provide exactly what the customer wants without emptying their pockets needlessly. We care deeply about the little details and we know our stuff about the materials we work with. And we didn't try to explain 'gymnosperm', 'angiosperm', 'longitudinal tracheids' or 'medullary rays'.
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