Dragon tree

Seeds: 5  / Botanical name: Dracaena Draco

A tree full of 'dragon's blood'

The evergreen Canary Island dragon tree (Dracaena draco), with its sword-shaped leaves, bears a crown similar to that of a yucca atop its typically thick trunk. Over the years, it branches out, eventually forming a single crown composed of countless individual crowns. It owes its name to the dark red 'dragon's blood' – the resin that oozes from wounds. The healing properties of dragon's blood for injuries and broken bones made it more valuable than gold in the Middle Ages. However, its industrial use as a wood preservative and the fact that felling the trees was easier than tapping them led to the dragon tree being listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The oldest dragon tree, 'El Drago', at least 350 years old, stands in the small town of Jcod de los Vinos on Tenerife. This robust tree requires little water, thrives in containers, and is also suitable for relatively shady locations.

Natural habitat: The natural distribution area includes the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira and North Africa.