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Softwood is a term used in woodworking and the timber industries for wood from conifers (needle-bearing trees). Softwood-producing trees include pine, spruce, cedar, fir, larch, Douglas fir, redwood and yew.

As the name suggests, softwoods are typically softer than hardwoods, but there are notable exceptions; Douglas fir, a softwood, is harder and stronger than many hardwoods, while balsa, technically a hardwood, is much softer than even most softwoods.

In general softwood is easy to work,  it forms the bulk of wood used by man. Softwood has a huge range of uses: it is used as a material for structural building components, but is also found in furniture and other products such as doors and windows. Softwood is also harvested for use in the production of paper, and for various types of board such as MDF.

The term hardwood designates wood from broad-leaved trees which lose their leaves in winter.  On average, hardwood is of higher density and hardness than softwood.  Hardwoods have broad leaves, they often grow in subtropical regions like Africa.

Hardwood species are more varied than softwood. There are about a hundred times as many hardwood species as softwoods. Hardwoods are employed in a large range of applications including  construction, furniture, flooring, utensils, etc.

Hardwoods are generally far more resistant to decay than softwoods when used for exterior work. Because hardwoods trees take far longer to grow than softwood trees, the supply of hardwood is steadily shrinking.

Ash, beech, birch, elm, mahogany, oak, teak and walnut are all examples of hardwoods.