Tension wood, a specialized tissue developed in the upper side of the leaning stem and drooping branches of angiosperm, is an attractive experimental system attractive for exploring the development and the biochemical pathways of the secondary cell wall formation, as well as the control mechanism of the carbon flux into lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. However, the mechanism underlying the induction and the development of the tension wood is largely unknown. Recently, several researchers suggested the possible roles of the plant growth hormones including auxin, gibberellin, and ethylene mainly based on the expression pattern of the genes in this specialized tissue. In addition, expressed sequence tag of Poplar and Eucalyptus provide global view of the genetic control underlying the tension wood formation. However, the roles of the majority of the identified genes have not yet been clearly elucidated. The present review summarized current knowledge on the biosynthesis of tension wood to provide a brief synopsis of the molecular mechanism underlying the development of the tension wood.