This paper describes the production of xylitol from D-xylose and horticultural waste hemicellulosic hydrolysate by a new strain of Candida athensensis SB18. Strain SB18 completely consumed 250 and 300 g L-1 D-xylose and successful converted it to xylitol in the respective yield of 0.83 and 0.87 g g(-1), resulting in 207.8 and 256.5 g L-1 of xylitol, respectively. The respective volumetric productivity were 1.15 and 0.97 g L-1 h(-1). Approximately 100.1 g L-1 of xylitol was obtained from the bioconversion of detoxified horticultural waste hemicellulosic hydrolysate using strain SB18. The yield and productivity were 0.81 g g(-1) xylose and 0.98 g L-1 h(-1), respectively. Strain C. athensensis 5818 was able to completely utilize glucose, mannose, xylose and partially arabinose. This work demonstrates that stain C. athensensis SB18 is a promising strain for high-titer and high-yield xylitol production and it has great potential in bioconversion of hemicellulosic hydrolysate. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.