Dracaena draco
(L.) L.
Asparagaceae
Asparagus draco L.
Draco arbor Garsault
Draco draco (L.) Linding
Draco dragonalis Crantz
Drakaina draco (L.) Raf.
Palma draco (L.) Mill.
Stoerkia draco (L.) Crantz
Yucca draco (L.) Carrière
Common Name: Dragon Tree
Trees growing on the Canary Islands
Photograph by: brewbooks
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
General Information
Dracaena draco is a very slow-growing, evergreen tree that can eventually reach a height of around 10 metres[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. It grows without branching in the early years of its life until it first produces a terminal inflorescence[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Eventually it produces a domed, spreading head of regular branches[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The tree is often harvested from the wild, and also sometimes cultivated, for its resin, called dragon's blood, which is traded internationally as a medicine[
].
Although widespread in cultivation, the species is classified in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(1998) as 'Vulnerable' in the wild where populations have been in decline for a long time[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. At least one reason for the decline is the over-exploitation of the tree as a source of a medicinal resin[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
N. Africa - Morocco to the Canaries, Madeira and Cape Verde Islands.
Habitat
Rocky canyons.
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Tree |
| Height | 10.00 m |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Dracaena draco is found in areas with seasonally arid climates where the average annual precipitation is 200 - 500mm and the mean annual temperature is 18 - 20°c[
1863- Title
- The Conservation Status and Population Mapping of the Endangered Dracaena Serrulata in the Dhofar Mountains, Oman
- Publication
- Forests 2020, 11, 322
- Author
- Vahalik P. et al
- Website
- http://10.3390/f11030322
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2020
- ISBN
-
- Description
-
]. A plant of the drier subtropics, it is also grown in tropical areas[
].
A slow-growing but long-lived species it commences flowering when about 30 years old[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
]. Trees can regularly live for 600 years or more - a specimen 21 metres tall was estimated to be 6,000 years old[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
This species is one of several that supply a red resin from their stem. This resin, often known as 'Dragon's Blood' is often used as an external application to treat a range of skin problems and injuries[
1754- Title
- A Systematic Review of the Botanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Dracaena cochinchinensis, a Plant
- Publication
- Molecules 2014, 19, 10650-10669; doi:10.3390/molecules190710650
- Author
- Jia-Yi Fan et al
- Website
- http://10.3390/molecules190710650
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 1420-3049
- Description
-
]. Dragon's Blood can be obtained from several species in this genus, as well as from three other distinct genera - Croton species, Daemonorops species and Pterocarpus species[
1754- Title
- A Systematic Review of the Botanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Dracaena cochinchinensis, a Plant
- Publication
- Molecules 2014, 19, 10650-10669; doi:10.3390/molecules190710650
- Author
- Jia-Yi Fan et al
- Website
- http://10.3390/molecules190710650
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 2014
- ISBN
- 1420-3049
- Description
-
]
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The resin, the so-called 'dragon's blood', is used as a folk medicine and fumigating agent[
].
Agroforestry Uses:
The plant is cultivated in various tropical regions as a supporter for Vanilla plants[
].
Other Uses
The red resin has a wide range of uses: as a varnish; for staining wood in items such as violins; for embalming the dead etc[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Propagation
Seed -
Cuttings. Dracaena species are generally easy to propagate. Only a small piece of the plant is required to form a new plant, and even when thrown away it may easily root[
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
