Woods are classified as either hardwood or softwood. There are different methods of classifying these woods. The most common method of classifying wood is by its source. Hardwood comes from deciduous trees that shed their leaves each year. Softwood is cut from coniferous, or cone-bearing, trees, commonly known as evergreens . In this method of classifying wood, some of the softwoods may actually be harder than the hardwoods. For instance, fir, a softwood, is harder and stronger than basswood, a hardwood. There are other methods of classifying hardwoods and softwoods, but this method is the one most widely used.
Some common hardwoods are ash, birch, cherry, hickory, maple, mahogany, oak, and walnut.
Some common softwoods are pine, fir, hemlock, spruce, cedar, cypress, and redwood.
