The name of this beautiful tree has mythical origins: for his 11th labour, Hercules had to bring back three golden apples from the garden of the Hespérides, which is guarded by Landon, the hundred-headed dragon. Hercules killed Landon and his blood flowed out over the land, which began to sprout ‘dragon’ trees .The tree exudes ‘dragon’s blood’ – a red sap – when cut .
The trunks are long and slender and the leaves are prickly . The flowers are greenish-white and have a sweet smell . The orange-brown berries are a little smaller than a cherry, pointed and covered in a red, resinous substance, and taste sweet
This species is widespread in cultivation around the world, as well as being listed in regional, governmental and international legislation but if it is to survive in the wild, conservation plans to educate and to create a network of protected areas must be put into practice.
The dragon tree is extremely slow-growing, taking 8 - 11 years to reach just 2 – 3 feet, when it begins to flower. Flowering occurs almost simultaneously on the Canary Islands, taking place only every 15 years (6). The flowering causes the stem to branch, resulting in a highly branched tree which can be aged according to the number of branches. The oldest individual is thought to be more than 650 years old .
The sap of this species is used as colouring matter for varnishes, tooth-pastes, tinctures and plasters.
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