Dragon Trees and Malaria

The Afromontane Dragon Tree (Dracaena afromontana) differs in height from a shrub to a tree, reaching heights of 2 to 12 meters. This species of Dragon Tree grows in dense moist deciduous and evergreen rainforests throughout Eastern and Central Africa. Its simple leaves are whorled and may reach 30 centimeters in length. The white flowers are panicles up to 30 centimeters long. It produces fruit in the form of orange berries.

The Afromontane Dragon Tree can be found, as its name implies, in Africa in mountainous areas, mostly at altitudes over 1,500 meters. Start looking for them above altitudes of 500 meters and stop looking for them above 3200 meters.

In its native range, the Afromontane Dragon Tree is used to mark field boundaries and graves. It is therefore also found in cultivated and managed habitats throughout Ethiopia and Tanzania. The roots and bark of the Afromontane Dragon Tree are still used as medicine for treating chest pains and rheumatism in countries like Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

Other uses include treatment for liver disease and the treatment of malaria: you crush the stem or leaves, mix with some water, sieve it and drink the extract three times a day; you can also peel the roots, dry them, pound them to make powder and mix that with water.

Some scientific research has been done regarding the effects of Dracaenas on the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. A Thai study found that an extract of a species of Dracaena 'showed high selective antimalarial activity'[1][2]. While I am not claiming that Dragon Trees could one day become a replacement for quinine, the genus certainly merits some thorough scientific research.

Buy your books here and save the dragon trees.

[1] Thiengsusuk et al: Antimalarial activities of medicinal plants and herbal formulations used in Thai traditional medicine in Parasitology Research – 2013
[2] Sumsakul et al: Inhibitory Activities of Thai Medicinal Plants with Promising Activities Against Malaria and Cholangiocarcinoma on Human Cytochrome P450 in Phytotherapy Research - 2015

Hawaiian Dragon Tree

The Hawaiian Dragon Tree (Dracaena aurea) is locally known as the golden hala pepe. This species of dragon tree is endemic to the island of Kauaʻi in Hawaii. As Kauaʻi's climate is tropical, with generally humid and stable conditions year-round, it has the perfect conditions for dragon trees.

As this species of dragon tree is far removed from other places where the genus grows, no one knows how it arrived on that rather remote island. Some think that, between 400 and 1100, Polynesian long-distance navigators carried seeds with them, but those seeds have no known use. Others claim that early western visitors imported the tree for landscaping, but the Hawaiian landscape is perfect and doesn't need extra species of plants to beautify it.

It is a small evergreen tree, usually not more than six meters in height, although in perfect conditions it may reach up to twelve metres. The gray, straight trunk has a diameter of 30 to 90 centimetres. The sword-shaped leaves are 20 to 50 centimetres long and one to three centimetres wide. This species has small yellowish (or golden) flowers.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, aurea, is derived from the Latin word aurum, which means 'gold'.

The Hawaiian Dragon Tree inhabits coastal mesic and mixed mesic forests at elevations between 120 and 1,000 meters. For those of you who want to know what 'mesic' means: In ecology, a mesic habitat is a type of habitat with a moderate or well-balanced supply of moisture.

Its leaves and flower buds are used to treat chills, high fever, lung trouble, and bad cases of asthma. The tree was also associated with sorcery.

Bos' Dragon Tree

Bos' Dragon Tree (Dracaena bushii) is similar to Dracaena phrynioides, both having capitate inflorescences and leaves with long pseudopetioles. Bos' Dragon Tree is easily distinguished from that species by its flowers which are twice as long and the presence of a distinct stem up to 50 centimeters long. It is a shrub up to 2,50 meters tall, with a single stem arising from a woody rhizome. Bos' Dragon Tree starts flowering in June.

[Bos' Dragon Tree (Photo: T. Damen)]

This species can be found in the understory of secondary forests, forest edges, humid places, on sandy soils and clayish river banks. Furthermore, it like to grow at altitudes of 100 to 1500 meters.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, bushii, honours Dracaena specialist Jan Just Bos (1939-2003), who has been a great inspiration to the first author, Theo Damen. As the Dutch word bos translates to 'bush' in English, it also credits Burgers Bush in Arnhem, The Netherlands, where the largest collection of living Dracaena in the world is being maintained, including a few specimens of Dracaena bushii.

Bos' Dragon Tree can be found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

This species of Dragon Tree was discovered in the collection of Burgers' Zoo in The Netherlands. In 1999, the zoo was given the entire Draceana-collection of Wageningen Univisersity. It is thought that Bos' Dragon Tree was already 'hiding' in that collection[1].
[1] Damen et al: Taxonomic novelties in African Dracaena (Dracaenaceae) in Blumea journal of plant taxonomy and plant geography – 2018. See here.

Short-leaved Dragon Tree

Short-leaved Dragon Tree (Dracaena brachyphylla) is an endemic species of Dragon Tree in India, but has recently also been found in tropical forests in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, roughly situated between India and Malaysia in the Indian Ocean[1].

The Short-leaved Dragon Tree is a low shrub with leaves that range from 15 to 30 centimeters in lenght. The panicle - a branched raceme in which each branch has more than one flower – is erect, stiff, quite smooth and shorter than the leaves. The white flowers are about 2 centimeters large.

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The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, brachyphylla, is a combination word from the ancient Greek language, where brachus (from βραχυς) means 'short' and phyllos (from φυλλος) means 'leaf'. It describes the somewhat short leaves of this particular species.

The Andaman Islands first became known in popular literature in Arthur Conan Doyle's novel 'The Sign of Four' (1890).

[1] Sinha and Srivastava: Genus Dracaena Vandelli Ex L. in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in The Bulletin of the Botanical Survey of India – 1996

Central American Dragon Tree

The discovery of Dragon Trees in the New World was not made until the waning years of the 19th century. The American Dragon Tree (Dracaena americana) can be found in dense tropical forests and thrives on areas with a hot-humid or subhumid climate, an average temperature of 26-28ºC and rainfall greater than 1,500 mm. It is endemic in countries like southern Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica. It is not known from El Salvador or Nicaragua. Remarkably, the species reappears on the Pacific slope of the Andes, in Colombia. Its presence in Colombia, in the Reserva Natural La Planada, Nariño, was only established in 1990.

The American Dragon Tree is a shrub or small tree, usually with multiple stems, growing up to 10 to 12 meters tall, with a trunk up to 30 cm in diameter. The bark is grayish brown and exfoliating. Young branches bear the oblique scars of fallen leaves. In contrast to many species of Dragon Trees that bear their leaves in tufts at the apex of their stems, the American Dragon Tree bears leaves along the lengths of its stems. Leaves are linear, 20 to 35 centimeters long and 1.0 to 2.5 centimeters wide at base. They are soft, flexible and bright green in colour. The flowers are borne on short pedicels, in clusters of 2 to 5. They are creamy white and circa 7 millimeters long. The orange berries are up to 20 millimeters in diameter, sometimes lobed, and contain up to 3 seeds[1].

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, americana, obviously means '(from) America' in Latin.

It is still widely claimed that Central American Dragon Tree is the only species of Dragon Tree that is present in the Americas, but the writers are wrong: the Cuban Dragon Tree (Dracaena cubensis) was discovered on Cuba in 1942.

[1] Zona et al: Dracaena L. (Asparagaceae) in the New World: Its History and Botany – 2014. See here.

Afromontane Dragon Tree

The Afromontane Dragon Tree (Dracaena afromontana) is appears as a shrub to a tree, reaching heights of 2 to 12 meters. This species of Dragon Tree grows in dense moist deciduous and evergreen rain- or bamboo forest throughout Eastern and Central Africa.

Its simple leaves are whorled and may reach 30 centimeters in length. The white flowers are panicles up to 30 centimeters long. It produces fruit in the form of orange berries.

The Afromontane Dragon Tree can be found, as its name implies, in mountainous areas, mostly at altitudes over 1,500 meters. Start looking for them above altitudes of 500 meters and stop looking for them above 3200 meters. This might be helping it to survive because most of its habitat is either too high to farm properly or its is included in some sort of nature reserve.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, afromontane, is a combination word: montane is from the Latin word mons and obviously means 'mountain'. Afro is short for African. Glued together the word means 'African mountain'.

The Afromontane Dragon Tree is used to mark field boundaries and graves. It is therefore also found in cultivated and managed habitats throughout Ethiopia and Tanzania. The roots and bark of the Afromontane Dragon Tree are still used as medicine for treating chest pains and rheumatism in Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

Other uses include liver disease and the treatment of malaria: you crush the stem or leaves, mix with some water, sieve it and drink it three times a day; you can also peel the roots, dry them, pound them to make powder and drink with water.

Some scientific research has been done regarding the effect of Dracaenas on the malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. A Thai study found that an extract of a species of Dracaena 'showed high selective antimalarial activity'[1][2]. While I am not claiming that Dracaena Trees could one day become a replacement for quinine, it certainly merits some thorough scientific research.

[1] Thiengsusuk et al: Antimalarial activities of medicinal plants and herbal formulations used in Thai traditional medicine in Parasitology Research – 2013
[2] Sumsakul et al: Inhibitory Activities of Thai Medicinal Plants with Promising Activities Against Malaria and Cholangiocarcinoma on Human Cytochrome P450 in Phytotherapy Research - 2015

Gold-dust Dragon Tree

The Gold-dust Dragon Tree (Dracaena surculosa) is a native of western tropical Africa rainforest region. This species of Dracaena is a slow growing and evergreen plant with thin erect stems, winding or hanging at times that grows about 60 centimeters in height. The Gold-dust Dragon Trees branch profusely and bear whorls of two or three opposite, elliptic leaves that are some eight centimeters in length and four centimeters wide set on thin but wiry stems. The inconspicuous flowers are pleasantly fragrant at night. The berries are reddish orange coloured.

New dark green leaves appear as tightly rolled cones, unfurling to show beautiful creamy yellow spots. These spots turn to creamy white or light yellow when the leave ages. It's not difficult to guess why this species proudly bears the name Gold-dust Dragon Tree.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, surcolosa, can be traced back to the Latin word surculus, which has the meanings of 'branch' or 'shoot'. It tries to describe the strikingly thin erect stems of this species.

In the West-African county Sierra Leone the leaves of the Gold-dust Dragon Tree are used to increase the strength and fitness in children. The leaved are boiled and the decoction used to bathe the child twice a day. I'm not sure if this treatment helps, but these babies are certainly very clean babies.

Toad-like Dragon Tree

The Toad-like Dragon Tree (Dracaena phrynioides) is native to moist tropical forests in West Africa. This species of Dracaena will not grow larger than 75 centimeters. It is usually unbranched and rarely with up to four branches from a short prostrate part not longer than 5 centimeters.

Like other Dracaenas it has a somewhat unique appearance: short stems arising from the rootstock carry oval, ribbed leaves which are attractively spotted or mottled yellowish. The Toad-like Dragon Tree blooms with a clump of flowers within a cup formed from bracts and on a short stem close to the roots. The flowers are followed by a bunch of glossy red to orange berries. The orange roots of the Toad-like Dragon Tree smell attractively of violets when they are still fresh.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, phrynioides, has its roots in the ancient Greek language, where phrýnē (Φρύνη) meant 'toad' and the name of the species can therefore be translated as 'toad-like'. It tries to describe the yellowish colour of the leaves.

Phrýnē was also a rather famous courtesan (hetaira) in Greek classical times, who lived in the 4th century BC. Phrýnē's real name was Mnēsarétē (Μνησαρέτη – 'commemorating virtue'), but owing to her yellowish complexion she was called Phrýnē ('toad'). This was a sobriquet frequently given to other courtesans and prostitutes as well.

Umbrella Dragon Tree

The Umbrella Dragon Tree (Dracaena umbraculifera) is a species of Dragon Tree that can be found on the Island of Mauritius, located in the southern Indian Ocean. It is considered so rare that some think it is already extinct in the wild. A total of only 16 individuals known to exist on this planet.

The Umbrella Dragon Tree can reach 10 meters in height, but its growth is slow. Its lance-shaped leaves do give the appearance of an umbrella and they measure about a meter in length. In the summer the tree blooms with little red flowers, followed by small orange berries.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, umbraculifera, is a combination word from both Greek and Latin: ultimately from the Greek word ombros (ομβρος), which means 'shade' or 'shadow', umbraculum means 'parasol' in Latin. We can still detect our present day word 'umbrella' in it. Fera is from the Greek pherein and can be translated as 'bearing' or 'carrying'. Glued together the word means '(it) carries (leaves) like an umbrella'.

There is a bit of confusion about the true origin of the Umbrella Dragon Tree. It was described for the first time in 1797 by Jacquin, as originating in Mauritius, and documented the natural history museum in Paris in 1804. However, some botanists from the Botanical Garden of Monza in 1842 suggest that this species of Dragon Tree might originate from the Indonesian island of Java.

Tree-like Dragon Tree

The Tree Dragon Tree (Dracaena arborea) is also called the African Dragon Tree. This species is native to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, Central Africa and Angola.

The Tree Dragon Tree is an evergreen. In perfect conditions, this slow growing tree matures to around 15 meters, but commonly is much smaller. It likes full sun to partial shade. The simple leaves are alternate. They are lanceolate (or sword-shaped). The Tree Dragon Tree blooms with panicles of tiny white flowers, which turn to small bright red berries.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, arborea, is Latin and means 'tree-like' for arbor is 'tree'.

Root extracts of the Tree Dragon Tree have long been used locally in many African countries as aphrodisiac to treat sexual inadequacy and to stimulate sexual vigor. Recent research showed that these rumours might even be true[1][2]. In rats, that is.

[1] Wankeu-Nya et al: Effects of Dracaena arborea (Dracaenaceae) on sexual dysfunction in 4 weeks hyperglycemic male rats in Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine – 2014
[2] Watcho et al: Dracaena arborea extracts delay the pro-ejaculatory effect of dopamine and oxytocin in spinal male rats in International Journal of Impotence Research – 2014

Cambodian Dragon Tree

The Cambodian Dragon Tree (Dracaena cambodiana) lives in forests in the southern Chinese provinces Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan. Other populations exist in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Species can be found near sea level up to 300 meters. This species likes dry and sandy soils, and limestone cliffs.

The Cambodian Dragon Tree usually reaches 4 meters in height, although some may eventually become as high as 10 meters. The slender stems are usually branched, with grayish brown bark. Its sword-shaped leaves are crowded at apex of branches. These bright green leaves typically measure 70 centimeters by 3 centimeters. The greenish white or pale yellow flowers are formed in clusters, followed by a berry that is circa 1 centimeter in diameter.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, cambodiana, is Latin in origin and means '(from) Cambodia'.

The Cambodian Dragon Tree is listed as an endangered species due to its highly restricted distribution and overexploitation, because of its medicinal, ornamental and ecological values. The problem is that scientific studies have revealed that the dragon's blood - the reddish resin from the Dragon Trees - harvested from The Cambodian Dragon Tree really does have some antimicrobial activity[1].

[1] Chen et al: Two new antimicrobial flavanes from dragon's blood of Dracaena cambodiana in Journal of Asian Natural Products Research – 2012

Elegant Dragon Tree

The Elegant Dragon Tree (Dracaena concinna) is still growing in coastal dry forests of Mauritius and some outlaying islands in the Indian Ocean. It is an endangered species in its natural habitat, but it is reproduced in large quantities in many nurseries in Mauritius.

This species of Dragon Tree can measure up to four meters in height. Its straight trunk is grayish. Its leaves lance-shaped, long and thin are a beautiful green color and grouped at the top of the trunk. They are advanced and succulent. Its fruit is an orange red.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, concinna is Latin and means 'beautiful', 'elegant' or even 'harmonious' and 'skilfully put together'.

The subpopulations are very small and confined to a few tiny islands. The remaining subpopulations of this species are now managed in reserves, which should halt previous declines in numbers. The Elegant Dragon Tree is easy to propagate by cuttings, which is helpful in its possible survival.

Large-leaved Dragon Tree

The Large-leaved Dragon Tree (Dracaena aletriformis) occurs in southern parts of Africa, specifically from Port Elizabeth eastwards to KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and into eastern and northern Gauteng. It has been found in a variety of habitats, most commonly in the shade of coastal dune forest and densely wooded ravines near the coast. Inland, it occurs mostly in deep shade along streams in evergreen montane forests but also in shady places in the dry bushveld, always in humus-rich soil. Most of the populations recorded so far grow in areas with either sandstone or quartzite. It is frequently found in dense stands.

The Large-leaved Dragon Tree is an evergreen, usually single-stemmed small tree that grows between two and five meters tall. The bark is tan-coloured and patterned with leaf scars. The leaves are crowded towards the top of the stems and are glossy-green, leathery, strap-shaped and half drooping. They can grow up to one meter long. Tall spikes of sweetly scented, tiny, yellow-green flowers occur on the plant during summer. Eventually orange berries will mature.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, aletriformis, means 'resembling the genus Aletris' or 'formed like Aletris'. It tries to describe the form of the leaves of this species. In Afrikaans this species is called 'grootblaardrakeboom'.

This species is popular with landscapers. It is used extensively in gardens and makes an ideal specimen plant on lawns in coastal and subtropical areas. In Eastern Cape (South Africa), the root of the Large-leaved Dragon Tree is crushed and used as a wash to drive away evil spirits. I'm not at all sure if that is a scientifically proven method.

Northern Large-leaved Dragon Tree

The Northern Large-leaved Dragon Tree (Dracaena steudneri) can be found in eastern and central Africas dry regions, extending from Ethiopia in the north to Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the south. They occur as an understorey tree in evergreen forests and also grows along forest margins.

The Northern Large-leaved Dragon Tree appears as a single- or multi-stemmed palm-like tree, up to 15 meters tall, with dense terminal rosettes of leaves. These leaves can be up to 130 centimeters long. Flowers are formed in sprays that can reach two meters in length. Each individual flower is white, greenish white or cream. The flowers open only at night and emit a sweet smell. The berry is about 3 centimeters in diameter and and turns from green to black with intermediary colours including dark purple, red and blackish red.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, steudneri, honours Hermann Steudner (1832-1863) who was a botanist and an explorer of Africa. Steudner visited African regions which were never explored by a botanist before. Hence, his careful reports were of high importance.

This species of Dracaena is cultivated in gardens because of its interesting shape. In tropical Africa the leaves and roots are used to a small extent for medicines. The leaves are sometimes used as a wrapping material.

Thai Dragon Tree

The Thai Dragon Tree (Dracaena cochinchinensis) can be found in a large region in Eastern Asia: southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. The trees typically grow on limestone slopes at altitudes between 900 and 1700 meters.

This species of Dracaena reaches 15 meters in height, has branched stems that are sometimes up to one meter thick. The sword-shaped leaves are crowded at the apex of branches. These leathery leaves are up to one meter in length. No wonder that the Thai Dragon Tree has a palm tree-like appearance.

The milky-white flowers appear in clusters, later followed by orange berries with 1 to 3 seeds.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, cochinchinensis, clarifies the region where the trees were first discovered. Cochinchina is a region encompassing the southern third of current Vietnam.

The dried resin, called xue jie (in Chinese) or dragon’s blood, is used medicinally. The collection of this resin, together with habitat destruction, has made the Thai Dragon Tree a vulnerable species in China.

Cornstalk Dragon Tree

The Cornstalk Dragon Tree (Dracaena fragrans) is a species of Dragon Tree that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 meters altitude.

The English name derives from a perceived resemblance of the stem to a corn (Zea mays) stalk.

The Cornstalk Dragon Tree is a slow growing shrub, usually multistemmed at the base, mature specimens reaching 15 meters with a narrow crown of usually slender erect branches. Stems may reach up to 30 centimeters diameter on old plants. In forest habitats they may become horizontal with erect side branches. Young plants have a single unbranched stem with a rosette of leaves until the growing tip flowers or is damaged, after which it branches, producing two or more new stems; thereafter, branching increases with subsequent flowering episodes.

The 150 centimeters long leaves are glossy green. Small leaves are erect to spreading, the larger leaves usually drooping under their weight. The highly fragrant flowers are produced in panicles 15–160 centimeters long, the individual flowers are about 2.5 centimeters in diameter, pink at first, opening white with a fine red or purple central line on each of the lobes. The fruit is a small orange-red berry, containing several seeds.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, fragrans, is from the Latin fragrantem 'sweet-smelling' and is ultimately the present participle of fragrare 'smell strongly, emit (a sweet) odor'.

In Africa, the Cornstalk Dragon Tree is widely grown as a hedge plant. Its scented flowers makes it a popular house plant. Several cultivars are available with variegated leaves, while others have a more compact build.

Red Dragon Tree

Only recently identified as a new species, the Red Dragon Tree (Dracaena jayniana) is restricted to central and northeastern Thailand. It is found on limestone karsts at 300–500 m above sea level, usually on hilltops rather than the steep cliff sides. The inaccessible nature of this landscape coupled with its lack of soil and low water availability has helped protect it from agricultural development.

The Red Dragon tree consists of woody stems up to 8 meters tall, branched at the base, with usually 3–5 erect stems in a cluster. Stems bear leaf scars from the base to the apex. Bark pale brown to grey-brown with vertical fissures towards the base, peeling away on each side of fissure. Dark red sap oozes from damaged bark. Extremely long, woody roots are produced that can reach down to the water table below the arid, rocky limestone habitat.

Tough, leathery, pale green to white leaves grow in dense clusters at tips of stems. These leaves are up to 75 centimeters long. The flowers are coloured a dull golden yellow. Ultimately, berries wth up to three seeds appear. They are shiny olive-green when immature, dull red when mature (known to be red-black when dried).

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, jayniana, is named after Jayne Spasojevic in recognition of a charitable donation by her husband to a sponsored skydive in aid of Portfield School in Dorset, UK. The epithet also sounds a bit like the Thai vernacular name Chan.

In Thailand, many limestone habitats are threatened by extraction for concrete manufacture, especially those closest to cities such as Bangkok. Mature plants are sometimes collected from the wild for use in horticulture. A number of populations are close to temples, which affords them some protection. It is collected by locals who consider it to bring good luck.

An invigourating tonic drink is made from the dried red sap.

Rock's Dragon Tree

Rock's Dragon Tree (Dracaena Rockii) is a species of Dracaenas that is is endemic to the Hawaiian islands Maui and Molokaʻi. It's habitat is restricted to remnants of lowland lowland dry, and sometimes open mesic or moist forest in gulches on Central Molokai and the northwestern flank of Haleakala; or on old lava flows on the southern flank of Haleakala, Makawao and Olinda on Maui. It grows at mid to low elevation (500 to 1,200 meters).

Rock's Dragon Tree is a tree that may reach five meters. The leaves are up to 40 centimeters long, bright green above, pale green below, tapering from near the base to the subulate tip. It can bear numerous fruit.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, Rockii, honours the Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist Joseph Rock (1884 – 1962), who emigrated to the United States in 1905 and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1907, where he eventually became an authority on the flora there.

The species is threatened by habitat loss. There are probably fewer than 5,000 or 10,000 individuals remaining in an undetermined number of occurrences. It is in some places still fairly common. However, due to the array of threats to this species, regeneration is very poor and most of the remaining individuals are mature trees. Threats to the species include feral pigs, goats, deer, rats, invasive alien plants, grazing, and fire. The tree also suffers from limited dispersal, with almost all fruits falling directly under the parent canopy, poor dispersal can contribute to increased seed predation levels by introduced rodents.

Distribution of Dracaenas

Nubian Dragon Tree

The Nubian Dragon Tree (Dracaena ombet) is a critically endangered species of dragon trees. It is found on the highest slopes of Gebel Elba National Park in Egypt, with some scattered populations in Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Saudi Arabia.

It's one of the few species that can survive the extensive periods of drought in all parts of its range and is likely to therefore be an important part of the desert ecosystem.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, ombet, is the vernacular name of the species in the Bedani language of the Sudan. 

The Nubian Dragon Tree is an evergreen tree with a thick, forked bole, growing up to nine meters tall. The tree is harvested from the wild for its edible fruit, which is used locally. It is also the source of a reddish resin that is used in traditional medicine.

A recent survey found that the Gebel Elba population is severely threatened by drought. Eight sites were surveyed during 2007–2009. Of 353 trees recorded only 161 individuals were alive and just 96 individuals were in more or less healthy condition. Two young trees were found, indicating a low regeneration level. These observations suggest that the Nubian Dragon Tree in Gebel Elba may soon be extinct.

While the survey claimed that continued drought is largely responsible for the decline of the Nubian Dragon Tree, the researchers conveniently forgot to mention overcutting (for firewood) and overgrazing (for fodder for camels) as potentially the greatest threats to these once widespread and abundantly growing trees.

Sander's Dragon Tree

Sander's Dragon Tree (Dracaena sanderiana) is also known as Ribbon Dracaena, Dracaena braunii, Belgian Evergreen or – erroneously – as Lucky Bamboo. It is certainly not related to bamboo and it certainly brings no luck to their owners. In some ads it is claimed that the plant will bring properity and happiness according to the 3000 year old Chinese philosophical system feng shui. The strange fact is that the plant does not originate from China, but has its historical roots in the tropical West African country Cameroon. Nowadays the plants are now grown on a large scale in China, but that's only for profitable exports.

Sander's Dragon Tree is a vertical, woody, evergreen shrubby species with slender stems and flexible strap-shaped leaves that grow as understorey plants in rainforests. It is an upright shrub growing to 1.5 metres tall, with leaves 15 to 25 cm long and 1.5 to 4 cm broad at the base. Branching - if it occurs - is from low down on the stem. Indoor height rarely exceeds 90 centimeters. It blooms with small white flowers. They are followed by small round, orange-coated fruits.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, sanderiana, honours the German orchid grower Heinrich Friedrich Conrad Sander (1847-1920), who built his reputation in England and found it convenient to change his name to Henry Fredrick Conrad Sander.

As said above, the plants do not originate from China, but are grown there in large numbers. If they have grown to the required height, they are put into small containers filled with water or gel. Then they are put into sea containers and will arrive in their port of call a couple of weeks later.

The problem is that the water in these small containers constitutes a perfect breeding opportunity for the eggs and larvae of the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus). This mosquito can carry more than twenty different viruses, like dengue, yellow fever, chikungunja and the dreaded zika virus.

Red-edged Dragon Tree

The Red-edged Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata) is native to Madagascar and some nearby islands. Some authors consider this species a mere variety of  the Madagaskar Dragon Tree (Dracaena reflexa), but it leaves have such a distinctive reddish edge to them that it merits a seperate species.

The leaves are long, linear, narrow, attached to the stem without a stalk. The stems or trunks usually are unbranched when young, eventually branching when mature to form spreading, vase-shaped trees. The white flowers of the Red-edged Dragon Tree are small and fragrant. They are followed by yellow-orange berries.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, marginata, is from the Latin margo which means 'the border' and thus signifies the red bordered leaves.
The beautiful leaves of the Red-edged Dragon Tree are the main reason that this species is also a popular house plant. It is no wonder then that a number of cultivars are currently available. 'Tarzan' is similar to the species but with larger leaves, slower growth and supposedly more reluctance to drop its old leaves. 'Magenta' has wider and darker marginal stripes on top of the green. 'Bicolor' is a slower-growing variety with mostly cream-colored leaves, which have green and pink stripes. 'Colorama' has leaves that are pinkish red with a few green stripes underneath. New growth on 'Colorama' is sometimes slightly cream-colored.

Kaweesak's Dragon Tree

Kaweesak's dragon tree (Dracaena kaweesakii) is only found growing atop the limestone mountains in the Loei and the Lop Buri Provinces of Thailand, where it is known as Chan nuu or Chan pha krai. However, oral reports suggest it can also be found in neighboring Burma.

Kaweesak's dragon tree is a species of dragon tree characterized by an extensive branching system; a fully grown specimen has several hundred branches. It has sword shaped leaves with white edges that grow in large clusters (20 to 50 leaves) and these can be up to 60 centimeters long. It has cream-colored flowers that have and slight green or yellow tint and bright orange filaments. Kaweesak's dragon tree produces brown fruit that turn orange when ripe. Seeds are 6 to 7 centimeters in diameter.

Kaweesak's dragon tree can grow to be 12 meters tall with a crown diameter of 12 meters. The tree's trunk may reach one meter in diameter.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, kaweesakii, derives from the name of Dr. Kaweesak Keeratikiat, a member of the team that identified the tree as a unique species.
As said above, Kaweesak's dragon tree is known from northern, northeastern and central Thailand. The tree grows on limestone outcrops at altitudes of 550 to 2,000 meters. Higher altitude specimens tend to be shorter and less branching and smaller leaves. Because of its limited distribution and the harvesting of limestone for concrete production the species is thought to be endangered. As of 2013, the population was estimated to be less than 2500 specimens.

In Thailand it is thought that the tree will bring good luck to those who have Kaweesak's dragon tree in their gardens. A number of specimens are also found on the grounds of Buddhist temples.

Small-leaved Dragon Tree

The small-leaved dragon tree (Dracaena mannii) is found from Senegal to Angola along the African west coast, is widespread in tropical Africa and is also found along the African east coast from Kenya to Kosi Bay in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The small-leaved dragon tree is a small to medium-sized tree. However, one specimen was recorded to reach to the skies with a height of 30 meters with a stem of two meters in diameter. It seems to prefer lowland, submontane and montane forests which are either moist and evergreen, swampy or on coastal dunes. It is also found along forest edges, in clearings and on river banks from sea level to around 1,800 meters.

This species of Dracaena is evergreen, single-stemmed or much branched from near the ground, sometimes even stilt-rooted. It has linear to narrowly oblong-elliptic leaves with numerous parallel nerves.

The flowers are in terminal spikes, cream or pure white in colour, yellow-green on the outside, and sweetly fragrant when opening at night. The fruit is some 30 millimeters in diameter, berry-like in appearance, brown at first turning bright red when ripe. Ripe fruits are used as a fish poison.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, mannii, honours Gustav Mann (1836-1916), a German botanist who led expeditions in West Africa and was also a gardener at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
While poisonous, parts of the tree are used against nausea and vomiting, parasitic infections, both cutaneous and subcutaneous, swelling, oedema and gout, mouth sores, worms, lung ailments. Extracts of leaves are used against pain, and bark extracts as an arrow-poison. Pulverized roots are soaked in cold water and the infusion is used against stomach-aches, gonorrhea and chest pains. Research has indicated that extracts of the tree may have anti-malarial properties[1].

Young leaves and sprouts are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.


[1] Okunji et al: Biological activity of saponins from two Dracaena species in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology – 1996

Yemen Dragon Tree

The Yemen Dragon Tree (Dracaena serrulata) is also known as the Arabian Dragon Tree. It can be found in Northern Yemen, Oman and southern parts of Saudi Arabia. These Arabian populations are restricted to high altitudes. The trees can survive on only a few drops of mist from the Arabian Sea. The Yemen Dragon Tree forms a sparsely branched crown of several rosettes with many rigid, narrow leaves with toothed (or serrated) margins.

The stem of the Yemen Dragon Tree can eventually grow to 35 centimeters in diameter. On average, the this species of Dracaena will grow to about five meters, but given perfect conditions, it can reach twelve meters. It differs from other species in its narrow and rigid, glaucous foliage and slower growth.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, serrulata, is from the Latin serratus 'sawlike, notched like a saw' ultimately from serra which meant 'a saw'. Specifically, serrulata means 'little saw', referring to serrated leaf margins.
The Yemen Dragon Tree is an endangered species. In Oman trees on Jabal Samhan, part of a nature reserve, have been severely damaged in the last ten years because of the cutting of leaves for camel fodder. No regeneration is apparent anywhere within its distribution range in Oman.

Madagaskar Dragon Tree

The Madagaskar Dragon Tree (Dracaena reflexa reflexa) is also called song of India or pleomele. This species of Dracaena is a tropical tree native to Madagascar, Mauritius, and some other nearby islands in the Indian Ocean.

While it may reach a height of 4 to 6 metres in ideal, protected locations, the Madagascar Dragon Tree is usually much smaller, especially when grown as a houseplant. It is slow-growing and upright in habit, tending to an oval shape with an open crown. The lanceolate leaves are simple, spirally arranged, 5–20 cm long and 1.5–5 cm broad at the base, with a parallel venation and entire margin; they grow in tight whorls and are a uniform dark green.

The flowers are small, clustered, and usually white, appearing in mid-winter. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are especially distinctive.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, reflexa, is Latin and means 'bent back'.

The Madagascar Dragon Tree is widely grown as an ornamental plant and houseplant, valued for its richly coloured, evergreen leaves, and thick, irregular stems. This popularity as an ornamental is also the result of the existence of several subspecies of the Madagaskar Dragon Tree (Dracaena reflexa angustifolia, Dracaena reflexa bakeri, Dracaena reflexa brevituba, Dracaena reflexa condensata, Dracaena reflexa lanceolata, Dracaena reflexa linearifolia, Dracaena reflexa nervosa, Dracaena reflexa occidentalis, Dracaena reflexa parvifolia, Dracaena reflexa salicifolia, Dracaena reflexa subcapitata, and Dracaena reflexa subelliptica).

Dracaena reflexa angustifolia, for instance, differs in having a magenta tint to its flowers, a shrubby habit and olive green leaves.

Socotra Dragon Tree

Socotra, an island and smallish archipelago south of Yemen and east of Somalia, is home to the Socotra Dragon Tree (Dracaena cinnabri). Locally called the dragon blood tree, it has a unique and strange appearance, sometimes described as 'upturned, densely packed crown having the shape of an uprightly held umbrella'. This evergreen species is named after its dark red resin, which is locally known as 'dragon's blood'.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, cinnabari, derives from the Greek κινναβαρι (kinnabari), which used to refer to the common bright scarlet to brick-red form of mercury sulfide (HgS), but also for the red resin of this species.
The Socotra Dragon Tree may reach a height of some 10 meters. It blooms with small clusters of fragrant, white or green flowers. The flowers tend to grow at the end of the branches. Its small fruits are fleshy berries containing between 1 and 3 seeds. As they develop they turn from green to black and then become orange once they are ripe. The berries are eaten by birds and the seeds are dispersed via their excrement. The berries exude a deep red resin, known as dragon’s blood.

The medicinal and colouring properties of this resin, and that from other dragon tree species, was recorded by the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. It continues to be used by the islanders in medicine, dyes, varnish and incense to this day.

Along with other Dracaena species it has a distinctive growth habit called 'dracoid habitu'. Its leaves are found only at the end of its youngest branches and theses leaves are all shed every 3 or 4 years before new leaves simultaneously mature. Branching tends to occur when the growth of the terminal bud is stopped, due to either flowering or traumatic events such as being eaten by a herbivoral animal.

Canary Islands Dragon Tree

The Canary Islands dragon tree or drago (Dracaena draco) is a subtropical tree-like plant in the genus Dracaena, native to the Canary Islands and neighboring Cape Verde and Madeira. It grows locally in western Morocco and was introduced to the Azores. It is one of the natural symbol of the island of Tenerife, next to the blue chaffinch.

The Canary Islands Dragon Tree is a monocot with a tree-like growth habit currently placed in the asparagus family (Asparagacea). Monocots are flowering plants whose seeds typically contain only one embryonic leaf.

When young it has a single stem. At about 10–15 years of age the stem stops growing and produces a first flower spike with white, lily-like perfumed flowers, followed by coral berries. Soon a crown of terminal buds appears and the plant starts branching. Each branch grows for about 10–15 years and re-branches, so a mature plant has an umbrella-like habit. It grows slowly, requiring about ten years to reach 1.2 metres in height but can grow much faster.

The first part of its scientific name, Dracaena, is a feminine form of the Greek word Drakon and therefore means 'female dragon'. The second part, draco, has obviously the same Greek root and means 'dragon'.
It does not display any annual or growth rings so the age of the tree can only be estimated by the number of branching points before reaching the canopy. One specimen called 'El Drago Milenario' (the thousand-year-old dragon) growing at Icod de los Vinos in northwest Tenerife is the oldest living plant of this species. Its age was estimated in 1975 to be around 250 years, with a maximum of 365 years. It is also the largest Canary Islands Dragon Tree alive. Its massive trunk comes from the contribution of clusters of aerial roots that emerge from the bases of lowest branches and grow down to the soil. Descending along the trunk, they cling tightly to the trunk, integrate with it and contribute to its radial growth.

When the bark or leaves are cut they secrete a reddish resin, one of several sources of substances known as dragon's blood. Dragon's blood has a number of traditional medical uses, although dragon's blood obtained from Canary Islands Dragon Trees was not known until the 15th century.

Canary Islands Dragon Tree is cultivated and widely available as an ornamental tree for parks, gardens, and drought tolerant water conserving sustainable landscape projects.