Hardwood is the mid-tier wood resource in Windrose, gated behind the first biome transition and used across weapons, ship upgrades, furniture, and most Foothills-era buildings. You cannot harvest it in the starting Coastal Jungle. It only drops from a specific tree species found in the next region.
Requirements before you can farm Hardwood
Two things must be true before a Divi-Divi tree will yield Hardwood. First, you need access to the Foothills, which opens after defeating Thomas Richards, the Coastal Jungle boss. Second, you need a Copper Axe or a higher-tier axe equipped. Lower-tier axes will not cut the tree.
If you do not have a Copper Axe yet, craft one at the Workbench using 5 Copper Ingots and 5 Wood. Copper Ore is farmed in the Coastal Jungle before the biome transition, so most players already have the materials by the time they reach the Foothills.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Biome | Foothills (unlocked after Thomas Richards) |
| Tree type | Divi-Divi tree |
| Tool | Copper Axe or higher |
| Drops | Hardwood, Tree Bark |
How to find Divi-Divi trees
Divi-Divi trees do not cover the Foothills islands the way normal trees blanket the Coastal Jungle. They grow in small clusters scattered across the interior of each island, and their silhouette is distinct — short, twisting trunks with sparse canopies rather than tall straight pines.
Sail to any Foothills island and head inland on foot. Scan open grassland and the edges of hills for these copses. They tend to appear in groups of three to six trees, so once you spot one, others are usually nearby.
Expect resistance. Wolves and other aggressive animals patrol the same areas where Divi-Divi trees grow, so bring a ranged weapon or a shield before committing to a chop session.
What you get per tree
Chopping a Divi-Divi tree returns Hardwood and Tree Bark. Tree Bark feeds into Foothills-tier crafting paths of its own, so there is no reason to skip it. Both drop from the same swing, and you can process Hardwood further at a Workbench with a Sawhorse and Tool Shelf to produce Timber (3 Hardwood per Timber).
Setting up a steady supply
You will need Hardwood in bulk. The Fermentation Barrel alone costs 20, the Shoemaker's Bench costs 30, and most Level 6 weapons at the Weaponsmith Workshop require 10–12 per craft. A single trip rarely covers more than one or two projects.
A practical routine is to build a small outpost or dock on a Foothills island with dense Divi-Divi clusters, then run circuits between the trees, any nearby Iron Ore Mine, and Sulfur-bearing rock outcroppings. This lets you refill Foothills Iron Ingot, Hardwood, and Gunpowder inputs in the same loop.
Main uses for Hardwood
Hardwood is the structural material for almost everything in the Foothills progression tier. The most common sinks are weapons, processing buildings, and ship-adjacent furniture.
| Category | Example craft | Hardwood cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic processing | Timber | 3 |
| Tools | Simple Fishing Rod | 5 |
| Weapons (Lv. 6) | Musket, Pistol, Blunderbuss | 10 |
| Weapons (Lv. 6 rare) | Bonebreaker, Crusher, Halberd | 12 |
| Buildings | Fermentation Barrel | 20 |
| Buildings | Shoemaker's Bench | 30 |
| Fuel | Charcoal / Ash (Charcoal Kiln) | 1 per unit |
Because Hardwood feeds Charcoal production as well, keeping a surplus also keeps your smelting chain alive for Foothills Iron Ingot and any higher-tier metalwork you unlock later.
Common reasons you cannot chop a Divi-Divi tree
If your axe swing lands but the tree refuses to take damage, check the tool in your hand. A Stone Axe or starter axe will not work — Copper tier is the minimum. If the tree is not visible on any island you have explored, you are likely still in the Coastal Jungle. Divi-Divi trees do not appear in the starting biome, so you need to clear the Coastal Jungle boss and sail to a Foothills island first.
Once you chop a Divi-Divi successfully, Hardwood and Tree Bark land in your inventory immediately, same as Wood from a normal tree. That is the confirmation that everything is working as intended.