Is Balsa Wood A Hardwood Or A Softwood

The trees are harvested after six to 10 years of growth.

Is balsa wood a hardwood or a softwood.

The balsa tree is deciduous and classified as an angiosperm which is the same classification as a hardwood such as an oak tree. Classifying wood as either a hardwood or softwood comes down to its physical structure and makeup and so it is overly simple to think of hardwoods as being hard and durable compared to soft and workable softwoods. The difference between hardwood and softwood. Although the wood of a balsa tree is soft balsa is a hardwood.

This may come as a shock to some of you but hardwood isn t necessarily harder than softwood and vice versa. The hardwood softwood terminology does make some sense. Yet despite its softness balsa is technically classified as a hardwood rather than a softwood since it has broad leaves and is not a conifer. Evergreens do tend to be less dense than deciduous trees and therefore easier to cut while most hardwoods tend to be more dense and therefore sturdier.

The name balsa comes from the spanish word for raft. This happens to be generally true but there are exceptions such as in the cases of wood from yew trees a softwood that is relatively hard and wood from balsa trees a. For example balsa wood which is known as one of the lightest woods in the world is actually a hardwood. In fact balsa is the spanish word for raft.

Balsa wood is very soft and light and is commonly used in model aeroplane building but it is not technically classified as a softwood. The distinction between the two woods lies within their reproduction. It is the softest commercial hardwood. That is hardwood isn t necessarily denser than softwood.

Being a deciduous angiosperm balsa is classified as a hardwood despite the wood itself being very soft. For instance yew wood is classified as a softwood but is considerably tougher than certain hardwoods. See wikipedia for more information about balsa. The terms hardwood and softwood don t relate to the weight or density of the wood but to the tree type.

Balsa lumber is very soft and light with a coarse open grain. Balsa has excellent sound heat and vibration insulating properties and is also incredibly buoyant. Hardwood trees are angiosperms mostly decidous in the northern hemisphere but evergreens in the southern hemisphere while softwoods are conifers. But the difference between these two types of wood isn t in their name.

But as the classification of balsa wood demonstrates there is no minimum weight requirement to become a hardwood.