This report describes 52 taxa of North American softwoods, which are organized alphabetically by genus. Descriptions include scientific name, trade name, distribution, tree characteristics, wood characteristics (e.g., general, weight, mechanical properties, drying, shrinkage, working properties, durability, preservation, uses, and toxicity), and additional sources of information. Data were compiled from existing literature, mostly from research done at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.