Dracaena Draco 

Dragon Tree, Drago de Canarias

In the greek myth of The Eleventh Labor of Hercules: The Apples of The Hespérides, there is mention of Landon, the hundred-headed dragon, gaurdian of the Garden of the Hespérides (the nymph daughters of Altas, the titan who holds up earth and heaven).

In order to fulfill his task to bring back three golden apple from the garden, depending upon the version of the myth, Landon the dragon is killed by either Hercules (in his quest) or Atlas (as punishment). Landon's red blood flowed out upon the land and from it sprung up the trees which we now know as 'Dragon Trees'. The sight of Dracaena draco is certainly enough to inspire such legends and the alleged location of this fabled garden, an island beyond the Altas Mountains (Morocco), would seem to indicate that this tree is indeed the basis of the myth. The rich, red, resinous sap of this species, suggestive of blood, adds to the mistique and have for centuries been put to uses both practical and magical.

While the Dragon Tree is endemic to Canary Islands, Madeira & Cape Verde, only a few individuals can be found growing naturally, and these are mainly on the islands of Tenerife and La Palma, growing in dry bush at the low elevations of the islands' rocky mountain ranges.

Extremely slow growing, usually taking approximately 10-15 years (or more) to reach about 2-3ft. before its first flowering. It is the flowering that causes the stem to branch, which is does with regularity (usually about every ten years, possibly less in cultivation), creating the much-divided crown ('hundred-headed' dragon) so characteristic of specimens several decades old. Perhaps the oldest specimen is found in the town of La Orotava, in the Orotava Valley on Tenerife (pictured at left). Locally it is called the 'Millenium Dragon Tree', and variously estimated to be 1500-3000 years old, though it is likely not older than 650 years, based upon its number of branched ranks. Since monocots do not produce annual growth rings as do hardwood trees, the cycle of bloom & branch is all scientists have to gauge the age of these plants. The hundreds of small, fragrant, creamy-white flowers are borne in branched spike. The fruits are pea-sized, bright orange, and very fleshy.

Before the Spaniards arrived on the Canary Islands, some five hundred years ago, Dragon Tree fruits were the main food of an endemic, Dodo-like, flightless bird which is now extinct. Related to the pigeon, it was about the size of a turkey. Because of the extinction of the species, naturally occurring Dragon Trees are becoming very rare. The processing of Dragon Tree seeds through the digestive tract of this bird helped stimulate germination - without this aid, seed must be manually processed in order to sprout.

Before the Spaniards arrived on the Canary Islands, some five hundred years ago, Dragon Tree fruits were the main food of an endemic, Dodo-like, flightless bird which is now extinct. Related to the pigeon, it was about the size of a turkey. Because of the extinction of the species, naturally occurring Dragon Trees are becoming very rare. The processing of Dragon Tree seeds through the digestive tract of this bird helped stimulate germination - without this aid, seed must be manually processed in order to sprout.

The survival of the Dragon Tree was, in some ways, safegaurded by the original natives of the islands, the Guanches, a race of white-skinned, blue-eyed people now racially blended with their Spanish conquerers, They processed the sap from injured branches or stems into 'Dragon's Blood', used in the mummification processes. Through time, this unusual substance has been thought to contains various medicinal and magical properties, and was sought by various cultures around the Mediterranean, Europe, and Africa. Today the Dragon's Blood is still in use to produce a hard, shiny furniture polish.

Dragon Trees are commonly grown in gardens all over the Canary Islands by private gardeners and by hotels as a tourist attraction, not only for its fame but also for its unique character. It is also often grown in large gardens in various mediterranean climates, where large, old, wel-branched specimens are highly prized. Due to the slow growth and difficulty in germination, it remains a true collectors item. Requiring excellent drainage and being suseptible to frost damage, its placement in gardens is restrictive. Container grown seedlings are very successful, but these will not attain the true character of the multi-branched crown without being planted in the ground and with the addition of significant time.