Woody > Dracaena > Dracaena cinnabari > Dracaena cinnabari
Dracaena cinnabari
Socotra Dragon Tree, Dragon Blood Tree
Origin: Socotra archipelago island in Yemen.
Mike's
Opinion
"
A unique and beautiful tree with an interesting story behind it. It has an attractive shape and bark that makes it look older than it is, with a unique ability to ‘bleed’ making it an interesting specimen. It has quite a few uses and is still used today in medicine. The resin not only has a deep red colour, but also contains Draco, which is used in pharmaceutical industries as well as some other industries including: making ink, dyeing wool, vanishing, etc. The tree is also known to live for hundreds of years; there is a Dracaena cinnabari tree that is estimated to be 672 years old and another estimated to be 111 years old.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Asparagaceae |
| Genus |
| Dracaena |
| Species |
| cinnabari |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 13 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Greater than 9a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1a |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 18 - 27 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 65 - 80 |
| Height |
| 5 - 12 m |
| Spread |
| 5 - 12 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A large evergreen tree with an upright rounded crown, needle-like foliage, and reddish-orange berries when ripe. |
| Landscape |
| Although it is extremely rare to find in the landscape, Dracaena cinnabari has been used in xeriscaping or as a specimen plant. |
| Cultivation |
| Dracaena cinnabari is an adaptable tree that is very tolerant of hot and dry soils, a full sun tree. it can survive on very little water and soil. |
| Shape |
| Multi-stemmed with a rounded upright umbrella-shaped crown. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| ID Characteristic |
| Dracaena cinnabari is easily identified by the tree's upright umbrella-like canopy and the blood-red coloured resin. |
| Pests |
| The most common pests of Dracaena cinnabari are spider mites and mealybugs. |
| Habitat |
| Native and can only be found on the Socotra archipelago island in the Republic of Yemen, located in the Arabian Sea. It can be found on a variety of sites, such as by limestone caves, mountains, and sandy beaches. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Dracaena cinnabari is a large, single-trunk tree with smooth grey bark which becomes cracked and peels as the tree ages, adding to the ancient appearance of the tree. When the bark is pulled back, the tree oozes a blood-red coloured resin. The branches display a dichotomous branching, where the branches are divided into two sections. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| The flower buds are spherical in shape, about 1cm to 2cm in diameter, and are a deep green colour. |
| Leaf Description |
| Dracaena cinnabari leaves form dense tufts that are 60cm long and 4cm wide and will grow at the branch tips. The leaves are leathery and strap-shaped with a rich-green colour. The leaves are all shed every 3 to 4 years. The leaves are also scleromorphic to prevent excessive loss of water. |
| Flower Description |
| Dracaena cinnabari has small white lily-like spiked and fragrant flowers. The flowers form a dense cluster and only appear at the tips of the branch. The flowers are usually hidden by the foliage. The Flower typically blooms from March to May but can vary with location. It takes up to 15 years for a dragon blood tree to start producing flowers. |
| Fruit Description |
| Dracaena cinnabari has fleshy small orange-red berries when ripe that look similar to cherries. The is known to take up to 5 months to mature. When the berries are ripening, they start as green and change to black. The berries contain up to 3 spherical, brownish-red seeds and are a favourite of birds and other animals. The seeds are 5mm in diameter. The berries also exude a deep red resin. |
| Colour Description |
| The bark is a grey colour with rich-green leaves and white lily-like flowers that produces orange-red berries, and a deep blood-red resin. |
| Texture Description |
| Coarse texture. |
| Propagation |
| The Dracaena cinnabari is typically propagated by seed. It can also be propagated by cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The resin from the dragon blood tree was used by the early Greeks and Romans as a medicine for respiratory and gastrointestinal issues. The resin has also been used for the colouring of varnishes, tinctures, toothpaste, and plaster. The bark has been used for fuel. The fruit and leaves have been used to feed the livestock during the dry season. It is now used to treat wounds and burns, infections, and internal bleeding. |
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