Land available for afforestation in the Western Cape Region has largely been subordinate to agriculture. Eucalypt species have never been tested intensively along the West Coast. Climatic matching suggests planting of species from West Australia as native habitat introductions, or from seed sources in the Mediterranean region where eucalypt species have been tried successfully, such as Morocco and Israel. Promising growth of eucalypt hybrids on marginal sites in the summer rainfall areas of South Africa prompted the inclusion of local as well as some hybrid seedlots obtained from Morocco. The terrain of the trial site is an almost flat old dune area (slopes 3%) with a westerly aspect and 7 km from the sea. The mean annual rainfall is about 400 mm, with most rain falling during winter. The other months are usually windy and dry, and the summer months are hot (maximum temperature > 35oC). The sandy soils have a coarse texture within the normal rooting depth. During winter water tables were observed on all soils within 2-3 m from the soil surface.