I'm in Texarkana, but I've got a eucalyptus that has been in the ground for 3 years. It doesn't get any special attention, not even water, and it does fine. My mom has one too, and it is on the south side of her house. It's over 2 stories tall. Absolutely beautiful. There are a couple of them that I see in Texarkana that other people have, some are obviously very old because they have big trunks. But some of those are very short and have obviously been bitten back by freezes a few times over the years. If I had it to do over again, I would plant mine on the south side of my house (Actually, that's what I told my husband to do, but he planted on the south side of the porch so the plant gets no protection from the north wind). The one on the south side of my mother's house gets bitten back from time to time. That's the reason it's only 2 stories tall. After a bad winter you can see the outline of the house in the tree from where it froze!
I don't know which variety I have, probably Silver Dollar, since that's the only variety I see at the stores around here.

Hey cweathersby,
Thanks for your info! I am definitely getting a eucalyptus this fall! If it does OK a bit farther north than me, then I should have luck here in DFW!
Let me ask you, does it stay evergreen?
Does it produce any fragrance (without cutting it I mean)?
Any berries or flowers?
How much room should I allow around it?

I still think it would be cool to have around, just for the novelty of it all!

Yes it stays evergreen. There's usually some tip burn during the winter, but the leaves don't fall off (unless I'm remembering wrong).
It's only fragrant if you brush up against it. My husband likes to hug the tree before he goes to work.
No berries or flowers, though the eucalyptus books do mention flowers. I've just never seen them.
As for room around it, it starts off bushy, but eventually it will be all trunk and the limbs will be over your head.
Planting in the fall ... if it was me, I'd plant in the spring. I always do that with plants that are iffy on the hardiness. It gives them all season to get established so that they are really strong for winter. You could buy it in the fall and keep it inside for the winter.

Can you plant eucalyptus in pots so that you can bring them in?