Soft Hardwood Species

Because of their versatility most species can be used for a wide range of applications.

Soft hardwood species. This guide presents details of the botanical classification properties and uses of the most commercially important american softwood species. Unlike the conifers or softwood firs spruce and pines hardwood trees have evolved into a broad array of common species. Softwood lumber is highly versatile and beautiful making it ideal for structural applications as well as interior and exterior designs and projects. As a resource american hardwoods are abundant renewing and sustainable and an excellent choice for eco effective design and building.

This guide features 20 of the most abundant and most often used hardwood species. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. First it is virtually unobtainable and not commercially available outside of its natural range in central south america. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a.

North american softwood species have needle shaped foliage instead of the leaves found on hardwood trees. Most common hardwoods. A hardwood named quipo cavanillesia platanifolia is commonly reported as the softest known wood with an alleged janka hardness of 22 lb f 98 n. The most common species in north america are oaks maple hickory birch beech and cherry.

And while this example lists just some of the most popular hardwood species there are hundreds of varieties representing the north american hardwood population. Other soft hardwoods. Soft maple boxelder acer negundo red maple acer rubrum silver maple acer saccharinum european maple sycamore maple acer pseudoplatanus marblewood marmaroxylon racemosum marri red gum corymbia calophylla meranti shorea spp merbau ipil intsia bijuga mopane colophospermum mopane oak quercus white oak. A guide to the grain.

The guide to american hardwood species. White oak quercus alba. From the big leaf maple and white birch to the red alder and trembling aspen bc s hardwood species are used to make such beautiful wood products as flooring cabinetry and furniture as well as musical instruments interior millwork and more. The hardest commercially available hardwood is hickory and it is five times harder than aspen one of the soft hardwoods.