Hardwood comes from a tree with leaves – deciduous and angiosperm trees.

Softwood comes from a tree with needles – coniferous and gymnosperm trees.

Hardwood comes from angiosperm trees – or trees with enclosed seeds, like apples or acorns. These are also called “flowering plants”. Examples include ash, aspen, balsa, birch, cherry, elm, mahogany, maple, oak, and walnut.

Softwood comes from gymnosperm trees – or trees with uncovered seeds. Think of cedar, pine and spruce, with exposed seeds that blow away to germinate and needles they keep year-round.

Hardness is measured using a rating known as Janka and it’s important when choosing flooring because a harder species will resist indentation more than a softer species. See Wikipedia’s page on Janka for ratings for different kinds of species here. There are instances where a softwood that is harder than hardwood.

A primary difference between hardwoods and softwoods is the presence of pores. Hardwoods have pores ranging in size and shape. The pores allow water to travel from the roots to nourish the wood. They also contribute to a hardwood’s grain pattern. The hardwood’s structure also makes it more dense and more resistant to fire. Softwoods have a system of straight, linear tubes (tracheids, not pores), which transport water and produce sap and provide strength to the stem.

When it comes to wood flooring, hardwoods are typically more durable and more expensive than softwoods. Hardwood flooring tends to be better suited to withstand heavy foot traffic and last longer overall. But that doesn’t mean softwoods aren’t able to be beautiful, durable floors. Consult our sales team to see what kind of wood floors we suggest for your specific room or project.