What is hardwood and what is softwood?
The terms hardwood and softwood are very misunderstood. They do not correlate to the hardness of the wood though hardwoods do tend to be denser and therefore sturdier than softwoods. The distinction actually involves how the plant reproduces. Hardwood trees are considered angiosperms, and produce seeds that have a covering such as apple or acorn seeds and lose their leaves in cold weather. Softwoods are considered gymnosperms and they produce seeds that do not have a covering and keep their leaves year round such as pine trees, whose seeds grow in hard cones. The fact is that softwoods can make beautiful flooring as well.
