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.
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