Rolando technically is the only one correct. Angiosperms ("flowering plants") are hardwoods and gymnosperms are softwoods.
The terms are derived because largely hardwood trees have denser (harder) timber then softwood, but as Rolando stated balsa is a hardwood (although a very "soft" wood).
The comment that hardwoods are deciduous is purely from a northern American/European perspective. Nearly every native hardwood species in the tropics, Australia, southern/central America, Asia and Africa is evergreen (e.g. most rain forest trees are hardwoods, the eucalyptus forests in Australia are hardwoods).
Check out Pat's hardwood link to wikipedia for a general answer.
A hardwood is not necessarily a harder material (more dense) and a softwood is not necessarily a softer material (less dense). For example, balsa wood is one of the lightest, least dense woods there is, and it's considered a hardwood.
The distinction between hardwood and softwood actually has to do with plant reproduction. All trees reproduce by producing seeds, but the seed structure varies. Hardwood trees are angiosperms, plants that produce seeds with some sort of covering. This might be a fruit, such as an apple, or a hard shell, such as an acorn.
Softwoods, on the other hand, are gymnosperms. These plants let seeds fall to the ground as is, with no covering. Pine trees, which grow seeds in hard cones, fall into this category. In conifers like pines, these seeds are released into the wind once they mature. This spreads the plant's seed over a wider area.
Harwoods are harder than soft woods. Hardwoods grow more slowly. They are deciduous, meaning they drop their leaves. Oak and maple are used for furniture because they stand up to wear.
Softwoods are evergreens. They have needles instead of leaves. They do not drop their needles in winter. Soft woods are used where cheapness is important, like construction grade lumber. Fir trees grow quickly and are harvested in a few years for 2" x 4" lumber.
let's see what's easier, typing all this...........facts about hardwood?
I really need to know what hardwood is for homework and please can someone reply before next week on tuesday thanks
or going to google and typing all this..........hardwood
It literally is hard wood. Oak for example is much harder than pine. It takes you twice as much effort to saw an oak board than a pine. Quite often, hardwood is deciduous and soft is gymnosperm (pines).
Hickory, walnut, white oak, black oak. cherry, red oak, sycamore, beech, ash, elm, birch, boxwood, holly, willow, and maple trees.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardwood
hard wood is
I really need to know what hardwood is for homework and please can someone reply before next week on tuesday thanks
