Wood derived from needleleaf trees—spruce, pine, fir, and cedar, for example. Commonly known as conifers, these trees produce seeds encased in cones, and are also called gymnosperms. Softwood trees are almost always-evergreen, retaining their needles year-round.

Some softwoods, such as spruce, are soft, but others, such as ponderosa pine, are hard and remarkably strong.