Is Boxwood A Hardwood Or Softwood

Boxwood buxus sempervirens by peter macsween at first glance european boxwood is an uninspiring tree.

Is boxwood a hardwood or softwood.

Boxwood hard heavy fine grained wood usually white or light yellow that is obtained from the common box buxus sempervirens and other small trees of the genus buxus. 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. 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. Flowering dogwood cornus florida also is called boxwood and bunchberry.

Allowed to grow in the open it rarely achieves heights of 25 feet with a maximum diameter of 6 inches. Its wood once widely was used for tool handles mallet heads wedges engraver s blocks and golf clubs. Other species in different genera tend to have similar appearances and working characteristics i e fine texture hard and heavy and perhaps get marketed under the boxwood name much like many woods are called by the mahogany name. Usually seen as a small shrub it is a common component of the ornamental garden hedge.

This north american species of hardwood tree produces distinctive fragrant white flowers in the spring followed by clusters of bright red fruit. While the term boxwood has become quite convoluted over time this species buxus macowanii is considered a close cousin to the original boxwood buxus sempervirens. It is true that many hardwoods are more difficult to machine than softwoods however the distinction actually has nothing to do with the hardness or workability. Boxwood s ability to hold crisp details in carvings and lathe work in combination with its color and silky fine texture truly make it a classic.

Boxwood shoots may be harvested in both the hardwood semi hardwood and softwood stage.