Why do softwoods grow faster than hardwoods?
This question (and most of the responses) are only a generalization. Softwoods, by definition, have needles or scales and are gymnosperms. Hardwoods have broad leaves and are angiosperms. While most “hardwoods” are more dense (higher specific gravity of dried wood) than “softwoods,” this is not universally so. Balsa, for example, is a hardwood and Southern Yellow Pine, used for flooring, is a softwood. The growth rate also has nothing to do with strength or density. Slow growth ring-porous woods (e.g, oak) will have tightly spaced spring wood that makes it weaker than slow growth. Slow growth pine has more closely spaced latewood and is stronger than fast growth pine.
