PlantsMap

EN PL

Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)
Photo: author: see the file page, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries tree symbol: Spain

Dragon tree

Dracaena draco

Family: Asparagaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Cape Verde, Spain.

An extraordinary tree with a thick trunk and an umbrella-like branching crown, ending in tufts of stiff, sword-shaped leaves. It grows very slowly and branches only after flowering, so the age of specimens is easily overestimated. When the bark is cut it exudes a dark red resin called dragon’s blood, formerly used in medicine and for dyeing and varnishing. It is rare and endangered in the wild but is often planted in parks and gardens.

Description from: Spain.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Cape Verde no. 1 of 5 cultivated

    Cape Verde is home to the subspecies Dracaena draco subsp. caboverdeana, which survives in the wild mainly on the steep slopes of São Nicolau and Santo Antão.

  2. Spain no. 4 of 10 nativeendemic

    Plant symbol of Tenerife

    The dragon tree is an icon of the Canary Islands; the thousand-year-old “Drago Milenario” in Icod de los Vinos on Tenerife is one of Spain’s most famous plants and a tourist attraction.