Dragon tree, Dragon's blood tree
Dracaena draco

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A palm like tree. It is evergreen. The trunk is erect and the branches spread out like spokes in a wheel. It grows 6-17 m tall. The sap is orange-red. The leaves are sword shaped and leathery. They are 35-50 cm long. The forked base is orange. They are in clusters at the ends of branches. The edges are smooth. The flowers are greenish-white and very small. They are in large flower heads. The fruit are orange-red.

There are about 60-100 Dracaena species. The sap is used to stain Stradivarious violins. Also put in the family Dracaenaceae.

Where it is found

Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Melbourne Botanical gardens. It suits places with moderate moisture or dry areas. It does well on a gritty, well-drained soil. It needs full sun. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Canary Islands (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Indonesia, Mediterranean, Morocco (country/location of origin), North Africa, Pacific, SE Asia, Slovenia, USA

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or by stem cuttings.

It is slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Zmajasti zmajevec

Synonyms

Asparagus draco; Yucca draconis;