Growing Eucalypts in Florida for Industrial Wood Production

History and Status ofEucalyptusImprovement in Florida

“…For similar reasons, 5th-generation seedling seed orchards have also been developed using multiple-tree row plots in randomized complete block designs. In the early species comparisons in southern Florida, E. robusta appeared to be comparable to E. grandis, and hybrids between the two species were promising [1]. Therefore, similar emphasis was given to E. robusta seedling seed orchards (Table 1).…”

“…No traditional plantations of C. torelliana have yet been established, but it is widely used for windbreaks in central and southern Florida. Market opportunities for Florida eucalypts are currently limited but have huge potential. The hardwood pulpwood market forecast for southern Florida grown eucalypts in the 1970s [1] that was made uneconomical by high transportation costs instead became a more local mulch wood market ( Figure 7) that supplies Eucalyptus mulch widely across the US. As cypress availability decreases, more eucalypt wood may replace it.…”

“…A novel cost-efficient tree improvement strategy pioneered for E. grandis in Florida was followed for developing seedling seed orchards (SSOs) of all species [1,4,9,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. This inexpensive but effective strategy utilized eucalypts' short generation time and rapid growth by combining provenance and progeny testing in one place at one time with early selection, large infusions of new, primarily single-tree accessions, and use of pedigrees to minimize inbreeding and achieve steady and often great genetic gains.…”

“…Eucalyptus species were introduced in the South as early as 1878, but no significant commercial plantations were established until the late 1960s [1]. Although forestry organizations tested eucalypts in Florida in the 1950s and in Texas in the 1960s, most plantings before 1970 were small scale windbreaks, ornamentals, and shade trees in central and southern Florida and Texas. In 1959, the Florida Forests Foundation initiated research on eucalypts as a potential source of hardwood pulpwood on rangeland or other low quality sites in southern Florida.…”

“…In the early 1970s, a eucalyptus research cooperative was formed by seven companies to provide financial and research support to the Forest Service. This effort led to the selection of E. grandis, E. robusta, E. camaldulensis, and E. tereticornis from 67 species tested and to the development of cultural practices for raising seedlings and establishing commercial plantations in southern Florida [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13].…”