| Dracaena draco | |
|---|---|
| The ancient specimen at Icod de los Vinos, Tenerife | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| clade: | Angiosperms |
| clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Nolinoideae |
| Genus: | Dracaena |
| Species: | D. draco |
| Binomial name | |
| Dracaena draco (L.) L. |
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| Synonyms | |
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Dracaena draco, the Canary Islands Dragon Tree or Drago is a subtropical Dragon Tree native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, and locally in western Morocco, and introduced to the Azores. This tree is the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), together with the Blue Chaffinch.[1]
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Dracaena draco is a monocot with a tree-like growth habit currently placed in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae, subfamily Nolinoidae).[2] It is not a real tree. When young it has a single stem. At about 10–15 years of age the stems stops growing and produces a flower spike with white, lily-like perfumed flowers, followed by coral berries. Soon a crown of terminal buds appear and the plant starts branching. Each branch grows for about 10–15 years and re-branches, so a mature plant has an umbrella-like habit. It grows slowly, requiring about ten years to reach 1.2 metres (4 ft) in height but can grow much faster.[3]
Being a monocotyledon, it does not display any annual or growth rings so the age of the tree can only be estimated by the number of branching points before reaching the canopy. The specimen called "El Drago Milenario" (the thousand-year-old dragon) growing at Icod de los Vinos in northwest Tenerife is the largest and the oldest living plant of this species. Its age was estimated in 1975 to be around 250 years, with a maximum of 365 years, not several thousand had previously been claimed.[4]
When the bark or leaves are cut they secrete a reddish resin, one of the sources of the substance known as Dragon's blood, used to stain wood, such as of Stradivarius violins. The Guanches worshiped a specimen in Tenerife, and hollowed its trunk into a small sanctuary. Humboldt saw it at the time of his visit. It was 70 feet (21 m) tall and 45 feet (14 m) in circumference, and was estimated to be 6000 years old. It was destroyed by a storm in 1868.[5] It has a number of traditional medicinal uses.[6]
Dracaena draco is cultivated in the horticulture trade and widely available as an ornamental tree for gardens, drought tolerant water conserving sustainable landscape projects.
Dragon's blood was also called “Indian cinnabar” by Greek writers.
Media related to Dracaena draco at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Dracaena draco at Wikispecies