Trip to the Dragon Tree (Icod de Los Vinos)

Dragon Tree, tree with large, sword-shaped leaves that grow in tufts. The dragon tree is native
to the Canary Islands and is sometimes cultivated in greenhouses. It typically reaches a height
of 9 to 18 m (30 to 60 ft) and does not branch until it is very old. The dragon tree’s small
greenish flowers grow in clusters and are followed by orange berries. A red resin, called dragon's
blood and used in coloring varnishes, is obtained from the tree’s bark. A famous dragon tree on
Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, was believed to be between 6000 and 10,000 years old,
making it one of the oldest known trees in the world. The tree reached a height of 21 m (70 ft)
and a diameter of 4.5 m (15 ft) before it was blown down in a storm in the mid-19th century.

Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2002. © 1993-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Istvan Hilgert
www.jointsoftime.org