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Dracaena draco
Asparagaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Dracaena draco

Dracaena draco

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

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[1]. A plant of the drier subtropics, it is also grown in tropical areas[2]. A slow-growing but long-lived species it commences flowering when about 30 years old[3]. Trees can regularly live for 600 years or more - a specimen 21 metres tall was estimated to be 6,000 years old[3]. 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[4]. 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[4]

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[5]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dracaena+draco>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]The Conservation Status and Population Mapping of the Endangered Dracaena Serrulata in the Dhofar Mountains, Oman — Vahalik P. et al · 2020 · http://10.3390/f11030322 ↩︎
  2. [2]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  3. [3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  4. [4]A Systematic Review of the Botanical, Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Dracaena cochinchinensis, a Plant — Jia-Yi Fan et al · 2014 · http://10.3390/molecules190710650 · ISBN 1420-3049 ↩︎
  5. [5]Taxonomic novelties in African Dracaena (Dracaenaceae) — Damen T.H.J. et al · 2018 · https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2018.63.01.05 · ISBN 2212-1676 ↩︎
  6. [6]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  7. [7]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎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.