Dragon tree

A plant species living in the lowlands and warm areas of Tenerife

Together with the blue chaffinch, the dragon tree (Dracaena draco) is one of Tenerife's symbols and has inspired many a legend and tale. This red-sapped tree grows slowly but has a very long lifespan, as we can see from the dragon tree in Icod de los Vinos, which is estimated to be over 800 years old. Its flowers are white and it produces a round orangey coloured fruit. Wild dragon trees can be found at altitudes of 100 to 600 m (330 to 1,970 ft), but they are also grown for decorative purposes in some of Tenerife's squares and gardens. The medicinal properties of its sap, which can also be used as a form of dye, caused the population of dragon trees to wane in Tenerife years ago, but it has been slowly recovering in recent decades.