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Why is conifer wood commonly called softwood?

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The massive Grizzly Giant sequoia tree stands with a wide, reddish-brown trunk and a hollowed base, surrounded by other tall trees in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. — Conifer A giant sequoia (*Sequoiadendron giganteum*) estimated to be between 1,900 and 2,400 years old, Grizzly Giant is the oldest tree in the Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California.

The term "softwood" is used to differentiate the wood of gymnosperms, such as conifers, from that of angiosperms, which are known as hardwoods.1

This classification is based on the structural composition of the wood rather than the actual physical hardness of the timber. The wood of conifers is relatively simple, consisting primarily of elongated tracheids that serve as water- and mineral-conducting cells. In contrast, the wood of hardwoods is more complex, containing vessel members, fibres, and parenchyma.12

While the term implies a specific level of density, it is essentially a botanical distinction used to categorize these two types of wood based on their cellular microstructure.12