Eucalyptus: Biology, Adaptation, Production and Potential

Eucalyptus spp. is the world’s most widely planted hardwood species. It has been established and produced successfully in warmer regions of the U.S. for decades, and is positioned for commercialization as a biomass feedstock in the U.S. South. Plantation management options for Eucalyptus as a short-rotation woody crop include both single-stem and coppicing systems, with harvests every 3-7 years with average annual yields ranging from about 4 to 14 dry tons acre-1 year-1. Current breeding efforts aim to develop freeze-tolerant varieties of commercial varieties, which are expected to expand the potential range of eucalyptus as a biomass feedstock into USDA Hardiness Zone 8.