Where to Farm Hardwood in Stardew Valley? (All Locations)

Just about every Stardew Valley player will need to get their hands on Hardwood at some point, as it’s necessary for a large number of in-game craftables, upgrades, and much more. But, it can be fairly tricky for players to locate Hardwood on the Stardew Valley map, as many methods can depend on luck or chance.

Hardwood in Stardew Valley can be obtained from Mahogany Trees, Large Logs, and Large Stumps. Hardwood can also be obtained by other means in-game, but the most reliable locations are the clearings on the Forest Farm map and the Secret Woods in Cindersap Forest, which respawn Large Stumps each day.

Considering the fact that recent updates have added more recipes demanding Hardwood, its acquisition is more important than ever. Stick around to find out exactly how to get Hardwood in Stardew Valley, as well as how to find all of the best Hardwood locations on the map.

Where Can Hardwood Be Found In Stardew Valley?

Hardwood in Stardew Valley is an incredibly special type of wood, as it flaunts superior beauty and strength making it quite useful in-game. Hardwood can be used to craft buildings or tailored clothing, and it is often an important ingredient in a variety of recipes.

Hardwood in Stardew Valley is one of those resources that players will often find themselves short on – and at very short notice as well, as it’s necessary pretty early on in the game. Not only is it crucial for a wide variety of massive mid-game projects, such as upgrading homes and constructing stables, but it’s also crucial when crafting farm equipment and much more.

Players may find themselves collecting odd pieces of Hardwood here and there from the very beginning. It may be tempting to sell Hardwood at the early stages after you find it while cleaning up your farm – but, don’t sell it, hold onto it for a later stage as you’re going to need a ton.

This resource is also important for the fact that it’s a necessary item in a variety of quests. According to the Stardew Valley Wiki:

“Hardwood is a resource. It is obtained by chopping down a Mahogany Tree with any axe, a Large Stump with a Copper Axe or better, or a Large Log with a Steel Axe or better.”

Players will receive Hardwood pieces for each source that they chop down, and the number of pieces collected will be fixed depending on the source. The primary sources and their expected Hardwood drop rates are as follows:

Primary Hardwood Source	Number of Hardwood Pieces Dropped	Minimum Axe Needed
Mahogany Trees	10	Normal Axe
Large Logs	8	Steel Axe
Large Stumps	2	Copper Axe

That being said, Mahogany Trees and Large Stumps are somewhat infinite in Stardew Vaelly – they may respawn (Large Stumps) or can be regrown by players (Mahogany Trees). But, Large Logs, also known as Old Logs, are the only primary Hardwood sources that are limited in number – they never respawn, and they are fairly limited as is.

As such, players will primarily need to seek out Mahogany Trees, Large Stumps, and Large Logs – which can be tricky to locate. We’ve gathered everything you need to know about Hardwood and their locations or acquisition methods in Stardew Valley, with images thanks to Gamerant and The Gamer.

The first place where players can find Hardwood after starting the game is on their own farms, as the Large Logs and Large Stumps found while clearing up the area will reward Hardwood. While these sources will not respawn again, the Hardwood obtained will remain useable.

But, although these methods are not necessarily reliable, there are also a few other ways to get Hardwood in Stardew Valley, namely:

Harwood Source	Acquisition
Normal trees	Normal trees have a chance of dropping Hardwood, provided that players have the Lumberjack Profession. Players can either use an axe or bombs to obtain hardwood from normal trees.
Robin	Robin may gift the player 25 Hardwood at the Feast of the Winter Star.
Woodskip Fish Pond	A Woodskip Fish Pond can produce 5 Hardwood when the population of the pond hits 6.
Mine Loot	There is a small chance that players can receive Hardwood as a reward for looting barrels and chests in the Mine.
Travelling Merchant	Players may be able to occasionally obtain Hardwood from the Travelling Merchant.

That being said, the odds of receiving Hardwood from normal trees or other sources are either quite low or sporadic and unreliable. It’s recommended that players target the primary Hardwood sources mentioned above for consistent Hardwood farming while keeping an eye out for additional potential Hardwood sources.

Although some methods of obtaining Hardwood will not require an upgraded axe (such as shaking Mahogany trees), it’s still recommended. Players should upgrade their axe as much as possible in-game, as some of the best Hardwood farming methods require at least a Steel Axe.

Getting your hands on a Steel Axe will require an initial investment of 7000g, 5 Copper bars, and 5 Iron bars. But, it will definitely be worthwhile considering the number of Hardwood pieces you’ll be able to collect!

Best Hardwood Locations In Stardew Valley

Various Hardwood sources can be found scattered all over the Stardew Valley map. Some sources may be found at random, while others have fixed locations – some of which respawn each day. Players should keep an eye out for any Hardwood sources as they explore, but there are a couple of locations that should definitely be prioritized.

One of the trickiest aspects of collecting Hardwood in Stardew valley is that many of the best sources do not respawn. But, there are a few locations that feature sources that do respawn every single morning. These locations are considered the best and most reliable Hardwood sources in the game.

Secret Woods (Cindersap Forest)

Although there are quite a few locations and sources to choose from when hunting down Hardwood, the most reliable location has to be the Secret Woods. The Secret Woods is located at the northwestern corner of Cindersap Forest and holds a hefty number of Harwood for players to collect.

This is the go-to location for any player who hasn’t chosen the Forest Farm map at the start of Stardew Valley. But, the walk to the Secret Woods is pretty short and manageable for players who have chosen the Forest Farm map as well – it definitely needs to be on the daily to-do list!

There are 6 Large Stumps in the Secret Woods, each of which will respawn every day allowing players to collect 12 pieces of Hardwood every day that they visit the area. That being said, players will first need to chop down the large Log that blocks the path into these secret spaces, demanding at least a Steel Axe.

Players will also need to watch out for monsters and enemies that lurk throughout the Secret Woods. But, considering that the monsters are primarily slimes, players should be able to manage well enough – and maybe take on some slimes for the chance of dropping Mahogany Seeds too!

Below is a pictorial guide on how to access the Hardwood locations in the Secret Woods, thanks to Stardew Valley Wiki:

Forest Farm Map

A quick and easy way to start off with easy access to Hardwood upfront is to choose the Forest Farm map when starting out. Players who choose the Forest farm map generally have a much easier time stacking up Hardwood from the very beginning compared to players who choose other maps, since this map is focused around foliage and trees.

In the westernmost section of this farm lies two individual clearings featuring a total of 8 Large Stumps. While other Large Stumps and Large Logs on the farm will not respawn, these will – they will be back and ready to be chopped down again every single day.

Considering the fact that each Large Stump will reward players with 2 pieces of Hardwood, players can acquire a total of 16 hardwood pieces each day – all just by choosing this map at the beginning! If you’re planning to do a ton of constructing and want to build everything that Stardew Valley has to offer, definitely go for the Forest Farm map.

What’s The Fastest Way To Get Hardwood In Stardew Valley?

In terms of the fastest Hardwood obtaining method from the word go, targeting the Secret Woods and Forest Farm (if chosen) Hardwood spots would definitely be your best bet. But, there is a longer method that will also be incredible, as it will really speed up the frequency of collecting Hardwood later on in the game.

Players should definitely be targeting the Secret Woods each day for maximum Hardwood gains, but they should also focus on leveling up. Make sure to choose the ‘Forester’ profession at level 5 to ensure your get the available profession options later down the line.

Once players reach level 10 Foraging, they will be given the option to pick a profession – either Lumberjack or Tapper, as seen below:

Players should choose the ‘Lumberjack’ profession for the most Hardwood gains possible. Choosing the Lumberjack profession will give all trees a chance to drop Hardwood.

Even in this case, players will still need to be visiting the Secret Woods for reliable and consistent hardwood gains each day. But, it’s a really great way to help you passively gather some extra Hardwood from unexpected sources in-game – sure to amount to a massive Hardwood collection over time.

How To Farm Hardwood

One of the best methods for collecting Hardwood over time is creating your very own Hardwood farm. Players will need to have the following items ready to go for the best Hardwood Farm possible:

• Mahogany Seeds
• Fertilizer (Level 7 Foraging)

Players can start off by selecting a location and planting Mahogany trees, but Mahogany trees do not naturally grow on player farms by default. This can be done by acquiring Mahogany Seeds, which often drop while collecting Hardwood from primary sources.

But, there are a few other ways to obtain Mahogany Seeds as well, including:

Mahogany Seed Source	Acquisition
Golden Coconuts	Cracking open Golden Coconuts may reward Mahogony Seeds and can be found on Ginger Island.
Slimes	Slimes might drop Mahogony Seeds and can be found in the Secret Woods.
Island Trader	Players can trade with the Island Trader, exchanging one stingray for a Mahogony Seed.

Mahogany seeds can be planted in order to grow Mahogany trees, each of which will provide the player with 10 pieces of Hardwood when the tree is cut down. But, this will take time, as Mahogany trees need to go through 5 growth cycles before they become mature.

Each Mahogany tree can vary in terms of its growth time, and this is possibly the most frustrating aspect of creating your own Hardwood farm. Each tree will have a 15% chance to grow into the next growth cycle each night. But, this chance can be bumped up to 60% if players make use of fertilizer.

Fortunately, fertilizer is a craftable item in Stardew Valley, but players will only be able to obtain fertilizer if their foraging skill is at level 7. Players will need to gather the following items in order to craft fertilizer:

• 5 Fiber
• 5 Stone

Once you have your fertilizer ready, simply sprinkle it over your Mahogany Trees. Players will need to have fertilizer in bulk to properly nourish all of the Mahogany Trees over time. Mahogany Seeds can go a pretty long way as well, as players will be able to plant a Mahogany Seed and potentially plant its offspring as well.

Although, this will take time, as Mahogany Trees will need to be selectively chopped down after using them to generate seeds. Gathering additional Mahogany Seeds from collected Mahogany trees does depend on luck in a way, but it’s definitely a great setup in addition to other seed acquisition methods.

For players that really need a ton of Hardwood over time, try planting a lot of Mahogany seeds in a dedicated area. Players do not necessarily have to plant Mahogany seeds on their own Stardew Valley farm, as they can also convert a quarry or section of a valley into a Hardwood farm – leaving over enough space for animals and crops!

Although tackling the task of gathering Hardwood may seem daunting at first, there are actually quite a few methods to acquire it in Stardew Valley. Some of the methods may be less reliable than others, but there are a couple of solid and daily methods that can really add up over time.