The island of Tenerife welcomes you again, and if you are ready for new adventures, then go! I think it’s time to go to the town of Icod de los Vinos to admire its beauty and make sure that the sacred Dragon tree growing there is truly a landmark that deserves our attention.
Symbol of the island of Tenerife
The dragon tree in Parque del Drago is rightly called not only the main attraction of Icod de los Vinos (Spanish: Icod de los Vinos), but also the symbol of the island of Tenerife, because its age is believed to be 2500-3000 years. Back at the beginning of the 15th century, when it was discovered, it attracted attention with a tree growing on a high rock and having a trunk strange shape and a large hollow.
Indeed, when you look at a tree, you get the impression that its trunk is intricately woven from thick ropes, disheveled at the top, where an umbrella-shaped crown is formed, from strong wind. The local aborigines - the Guanches - had no doubt that the 23-meter tree was sacred, so an altar was built inside its trunk for offerings to the gods.
About the dragon tree
The rocky terrain in the Canaries is ideal for dragon trees. Where does dracaena grow: it can be found in Madeira, the Azores, Cape Verde, western Morocco, and also on the islands South East Asia. Dracaena dragon (Asparagus family) - this is what this plant is also called - reproduces well both by apical cuttings and seeds, but it grows extremely slowly. If you want to have this miracle on your windowsill, no problem, since small trees can be grown from seeds or cuttings.
In nature, this plant with a thick branched trunk reaches a height of more than 20 meters. Very sharp leaves 45-60 centimeters long and grayish-green in color grow in bunches, inflorescences of 4-8 large flowers are also collected in bunches. The elastic fibers of the leaves are well suited for making brushes. The “blood” of the tree - red resinous sap with healing properties - has been used since ancient times by the Guanches in medicinal purposes and for embalming the deceased. There are long-lived dracaenas in the world, but due to the fact that growth rings do not form on the trunks of these trees, it is almost impossible to determine their age.
Descendant of relict plants
Not many people know that the direct ancestors of dracaenas were relict trees. But, it’s true, when you find yourself surrounded by these unusual trunks, you can very easily imagine yourself in a relict forest and even hear mysterious sounds similar to the voices of ancient birds and animals. Amazing feeling! Maybe that's why thousands of tourists travel to Icod de los Vinos, rushing to take photos in front of this unique tree, which is depicted in guidebooks, advertising posters, and labels various products as an easily recognizable brand.
Or if you want, we can sit with you right under the umbrella of the Dragon Tree crown at a table in a cozy cafe, having lunch or just chatting over a cup of aromatic coffee. One more thing often appears in the stories of local residents: ancient plant gigantic size, which was in the city until 1868, when it was toppled strong hurricane. Well, his ancient relative now has to “puff up” for two, meeting and seeing off enthusiastic tourists at the appointed hours when Parque del Drago is open to everyone: from 9.30 to 18.30 daily. Cost of visiting: 4 euros for adults, 2.5 euros for students and pensioners, 2 euros for children under 12 years old and free for those under 6 years old. Most tourists prefer to view the dragon tree from the observation deck and for free. In any case, it is more convenient to take pictures against its background from there.
In pursuit of impressions
The Park del Drago itself, founded in 1996, is located in the western part of the city and occupies an area of 3 hectares, and in addition to the famous dracaena, listed World Heritage UNESCO in 2011, beech, linden, palm trees, heather, laurel trees, cacti and other representatives of the local flora grow there. The park also contains a small lava cave, which in ancient times was a burial place for mummies. A picturesque bridge spans the small river flowing through the territory of del Drago. If you want, we can walk along it to listen to the soothing splash of water.
Visit this unique place Usually included in a sightseeing tour, the purchase of which will help you free yourself from unnecessary hassle if you are a fan of organized group trips. The cost of such excursions usually ranges from 20 to 40 euros per person and may include visits to such attractions as, and others (the excursion route can be found at the point of sale of excursions of specific companies or at your hotel).
What to see nearby
Directly next to the observation deck is the Church of San Marcos (Spanish: Iglesia de San Marcos), built in the 16th century, famous for its forty-kilogram silver cross almost 2.5 meters high and graceful interior decoration. Nearby there is another famous attraction of Icod de los Vinos - the Butterfly Museum (Spanish: Mariposario del Drago), where the scientific laboratory to study these magnificent insects, and every visitor can stroll through the garden, where good weather Thousands of Asian, American and Australian beauties with bright wings flutter.
Visit to the 17-kilometer Wind Cave (Spanish: Cueva del Viento) - the longest among others of its kind natural formations in Europe, will leave you with the feeling that you have visited another planet, thanks to its unique and bizarre lava tunnel, from the walls of which droplets of water slowly and mesmerizingly flow down. Not far from the entrance to the park is La Pila Square (Spanish: Plaza de la Pila) with a 17th century fountain, surrounded by restaurants and shops, palaces and houses noble families. Here you can also taste local wines (including the famous Malvasia) and dine in one of the many restaurants.
We will tell you more about the city itself and its other attractions in a separate article.
How to get there
From Las Americas
From the southern part of the island you can get there in a couple of hours by direct bus No. 460. If by car, then along the TF-47 or TF-82 highway (half of the route will be along serpentine roads). If you don’t like to wander along serpentine roads, then you can go around the island on the other side, driving along the highway to Santa Cruz and further, as will be written below. The road will take longer, but always on the highway.
From Santa Cruz de Tenerife (and Puerto de la Cruz)
Direct buses 106 (express) and 108 from , 325, 354 and 363 from Puerto de la Cruz. By car we drive along TF-5 straight to the city, then follow the signs.
Share your impressions with us if you have already visited Icod de los Vinos. I have no doubt that our readers would be happy to study your notes and comments before planning another vacation. Surely our story about Icod de los Vinos with its Dragon Tree was able to captivate everyone so much that you are already preparing to get ready for the trip. Rest assured, Tenerife is looking forward to seeing you! See you later, friends!
If you are planning to start breeding in your home or area various trees and other plants that would have an exotic and pleasant appearance, but at the same time would not require significant costs for their maintenance and would not take up a lot of your time - turn your attention to dracaena. This tree-bush, originally from Africa, can surprise any, even the most spoiled, guest, and its neat appearance will inspire you to new feats in gardening as you contemplate it. This article is devoted to the features of growing and caring for dracaena.
Legend
Dracaena was called the “dragon tree” for a reason; this is connected not only with a certain feature of its structure, but also with the legend of the ancient Indians, who, as you know, loved nature and sought to find the roots of all the phenomena occurring around them in it.
Since ancient times, Indians have used the sap of this tree as a healing agent and embalming material, which allows us to better understand the origins and main leitmotif of this legend.
According to this legend, once upon a time the earth was inhabited by countless powerful dragons, no less intelligent than humans, who were also immortal. 
People, wanting to get the secret of eternal life and enormous strength, began to exterminate dragons in the hope that their blood would give them the desired power and allow them to forget about death. However, the blood obtained in this way lost any miraculous effect.
Did you know? Literally the name of this tree is translated from Latin as “female dragon”, which is probably due to general view bush, reminiscent of a bristling dragon with wings and paws raised upward and brought together in the area of the back and head.
For many years, the extermination of dragons by people continued, many generations of people were replaced in this pursuit of eternal life and power, until only one, the last dragon remained on earth.
People chased him for a long time, did not allow him to hide, overtook him in the most distant lands, and ultimately the last dragon fell, but before his death he forgave the martyrs of his people and his killers. In the same place where he was buried, a tree grew, capable of healing all kinds of wounds and giving eternal life to everyone who tasted its juice. This tree was the dracaena. 
According to another legend belonging to the Aztecs, this plant received a slightly different name: “tree of happiness.” It says that a young warrior who fell in love with the daughter of the high priest received an assignment from her father - to water the stick that he handed to the warrior with plain water for five days.
If not a single leaf grows on the stick within the allotted period of time, the warrior will not only not get the hand of his bride, but he will be executed immediately.
However, to the great happiness of the young people, at the end of the fifth day leaves appeared on the stick - a dracaena grew from it. The priest's daughter married a warrior, and since then people have believed that a dracaena branch, which was cut at midnight on a full moon, can bring happiness in love affairs. 
Description
Most types of dracaena can be found on African continent, significantly fewer of them grow in South Asia, another one can be found in the tropical part Central America.
Dracaenas belong to the Asparagus family and can grow as trees or succulent shrubs. It is the latter that have gained immense popularity as house plants. Dracaena can produce both one powerful, woody stem with dark brown bark, as well as several (up to a dozen) smaller ones, the bark of which has a more delicate shade.
Most often, the bark is smooth, gradually thickening downward. The stem turns at the top into a scattering of hard, elongated, narrow, green tint leaves, numbering from 30 to 100. The leaves do not form a pronounced alternation on the stem, they are placed quite densely and in a chaotic order.
Did you know? Dracaena is a long-lived plant, but due to the peculiarities of its structure, it can be quite difficult to accurately determine the age of the tree. Nevertheless, it is believed that the oldest dracaena on Earth is about 3 thousand years old.
Dracaenas are characterized by the presence of a secondary thickening meristem in the trunk. The roots are quite well developed, have a branched structure, are located quite superficially in nature, and are orange in color when cut.
Dracaena blooms infrequently and for a very short period; at the moment of flowering, white, purple or yellow flowers are formed on the tops of the stems, in each of the nests of the three-lobed ovary a seed is placed.
Peculiarities
During its growth, this plant does not form annual rings at all, which is due to the growth of woody mass in the trunk not according to the ring type, but primarily through horizontal growth, in addition, this phenomenon The structure of the dracaena wood itself contributes.
IN wildlife These trees can reach a height of 15-20 meters, and given the proper growing conditions, even significantly exceed this mark. 
If you make an incision on the stem of the dracaena, you can see the release of colorless, thick resin juice, which quickly acquires a red tint upon contact with air.
Among the peoples of Central America, this substance is called “the blood of two brothers”, or “cinnabar”. Many people tend to endow this substance with special mystical properties.
You will notice that the branches of this tree almost always look vertically upward, which adds to its beauty and explains why this tree is so popular among modern gardeners: this structure of the branches almost completely eliminates the need for additional pruning of branches and the formation of the crown.
Dracaena can often be found in mountainous areas or on rocky slopes. Its root system is perfectly adapted to hold the tree under the influence of almost any, even the most strong winds and is capable of providing top part plants with all the necessary substances, extracting them only from the upper layers of the soil. 
Applying properties
The Aztecs, and probably also the ancient inhabitants of the Canary Islands, the Guanche people, used the juice obtained from dracaena to embalm dead leaders and high priests. The embalming properties of the juice of this plant, although true, are no longer of significant value against the background of many modern substances, for example, formaldehyde.
Fibers from the leaves of some species of this plant are used in the process of producing ropes and coarse fabric. The wood of this tree burns rather poorly, gives off little light, but has a fairly high heat capacity, which makes it a good heating material.
The use of dracaena wood as carpentry material is difficult due to natural features its structures. The greatest value is the varnish extracted from the juice of this plant, which is subsequently applied to metal, fabrics and carpentry. 
In addition, hair dye is also made from this substance, which can give it a fairly lasting golden hue. Residents of places where dracaena grows wild often use its juice as a paint for alcoholic beverages.
Traditional medicine recommends using a mixture of grape alcohol and dracaena juice as a recipe for stomach ulcers. Alcohol infusions of dracaena juice can also be used for speedy healing wounds and bruises, as well as remedy from acne and purulent rashes on the skin.
Types of dragon dracaena
Growing indoor plants
If you bought a young dracaena in a pot, then, most likely, you will not need to replant it in the first year that it is with you. Young dracaena requires replanting at least once a year, during which you will have to not only change the pot, but also completely change the soil mixture.
However, if for one reason or another you are not satisfied with the pot in which you brought it, or the quality of the soil, or you simply prefer to know exactly the time when the next time your plant will need to be replanted, you can begin the replanting process according to the following algorithm:
- Take a pot, the size of which should correspond to the size of the flower being transplanted into it (for the first year dracaena, a 3 liter pot is enough). The pot should be shallow and as wide as possible.
- Lay a small layer of sand or any soil, 3-4 centimeters thick. Place a small layer of porous pebbles or crushed stone on top. Next, lay a layer (3-4 cm) of soil for succulents purchased at a garden store.
- Move the dracaena extracted from the previous pot, preferably with an earthen lump, but without it, into a new pot. Straighten all the roots so that they lie flat and do not bend anywhere.
- Next, fill the roots of the plant with soil for succulents so as to completely cover the entire root system, and fill the rest of the pot with soil, leaving 2-3 fingers short of the edge.
- Next, water the transplanted bush thoroughly, wipe the leaves with a damp cloth and place the pot in a pre-designed place.
Important! For older plants that are no longer actively growing upward, there is no point in carrying out the entire process every year using the same algorithm. It will be enough to replace the top layer of soil with a new one, rich in various nutrients.
It is best to place the dracaena somewhere in the back of the room, preferably directly opposite the window opening, because although it does not like bright light, it is extremely unwise to completely deprive the plant of a natural source of energy. Optimal temperature To maintain this flower throughout the year, the range is from +20 to +45 °C.
Throughout the hot period, dracaena must be watered every day and it is advisable to wipe its leaves with a damp cloth. With the onset of cold weather, it is appropriate to reduce watering, and if the temperature in the room where the dracaena is located drops to +15 ° C, then practically reduce it to nothing. 
To feed these flowers, mineral and organic fertilizers are used, which summer period It is appropriate to alternately apply once every two weeks. From the best way will do , either .
Among the best are nitrophosphate or. With the onset of cold weather, the application of fertilizers is stopped, and in the spring, when the average daily temperature begins to exceed +10 ° C, they are resumed again.
Important! Organic fertilizers- substances that are quite active in nature, so they cannot be used in their pure form. Mullein and bird droppings must be diluted in a ratio of 1:10 with water, and wood ash must be mixed with peat.
How do they reproduce?
The best period to start propagating this plant is the warm half of the year. The most effective method of breeding dracaena at home is propagation using cuttings. 
- First, take a knife treated with alcohol and carefully cut the top off the mother stem. The incision should be at a height of 6-7 cm from its base. It would be better to make a cut at an angle of 45 degrees.
- Next, we can proceed in two ways: place the cutting in water and wait for the roots to appear, or immediately begin rooting it. Practice shows that the second method gives faster and more reliable results.
- The length of the cutting must be at least 5 cm, otherwise there is a possibility that it will not be accepted. You can achieve the required length by removing several lower leaves. Dip the tip of the plant in a solution of Kornevin or another growth stimulant and prepare the pot.
- It is worth adding soil with a high peat content to a small pot; soil bought at a flower shop for succulents is good. It is worth forming a small depression in the ground.
- Insert the cutting into the hole and press it slightly into the ground. To provide best results the cutting can be placed under a hood or in a greenhouse.
- Maintain the cutting at a temperature of 22 to 26 °C. Do not forget to water the plant on time and wipe its leaves with warm water. It is best to keep the pot on the windowsill. Don't worry if a few of the lower leaves fall off - this is within normal limits for dracaena.
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Much has been said about the dragon tree. beautiful legends. And not in vain, because it is one of the most ancient trees on the planet. In addition, real “dragon blood” flows in his “veins,” which has special healing properties.
The dragon tree grows on the islands of Socotra and the Canary Islands, as well as in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia.
It was first discovered in 1402 on the island of Tenerife. Where on high mountain a huge tree rose from unusual shape trunk and a large hollow. Local residents considered it sacred.
The height of the thick branched trunk reaches 20 meters, and its diameter is 4 meters. At the top there is a dense branched crown, decorated with sharp leaves.
Huge tree with a dense crown On this moment the oldest and most tall tree grows in the Canary Islands in the small town of Icod de los Vinos. Its height is 21 meters, and the girth of the base of the trunk is 15 meters. Age - 2500-3000 years. Before him, the oldest dragon tree was a tree that grew on the same islands in the town of La Orotava. His age was determined to be 6000 years. But in 1868 it was destroyed by a strong hurricane.
The famous dragon tree from the town of Icod de los Vinos Dracaena dracaena grows very slowly. Unlike many trees, it does not have growth rings, so determining its exact age is very problematic.
All of her life cycle divided into 3 stages: youth (30-35 years), maturity (when branches form and the tree begins to bear fruit) and old age, which continues for the rest of its life. It is during this period that a resin called “dragon’s blood” begins to be released.
Youth 
Maturity 
Old age About her medicinal properties there are legends. The resin was used in medicinal practice, religious and magical rituals. "Dragon's blood" was used in ancient times as an embalming agent. In Eastern medicine, it is used in the treatment of wounds and injuries, as well as an antitumor agent and for infectious diseases.
Fruit But, surprisingly, the resin itself is colorless. But upon contact with air, it quickly turns red. This is due to the presence of special pigments in its composition - dracocarmine and dracorubin. When the juice hardens, it turns into a glassy mass.
The dragon tree (dragon tree) can truly be called unusual plant according to him appearance. However, few people know that it also has a number of healing properties. Even in ancient times, African shamans used the sap, bark, leaves and roots of the tree to treat many diseases.
A little history
An ancient legend from India says that the dragon tree has its name for a reason: under the bark of this unique plant The blood of a real dragon flows, which is why the color of the resin is red. A long time ago, dragons lived on the island, and their main prey were elephants, whose blood they drank. However, the incredible happened, and a huge old elephant, dying, fell straight onto the dragon, crushing it.
The blood of the dragon and the elephant mixed and flowed out onto the ground, and in that place a bizarre tree grew, along the trunk of which dragon’s blood ran and was absorbed into the ground. This is where the second name of the plant came from - dragon dracaena (translated as “female dragon”). Since then, the tree and its resin have become sacred and used in worship and embalming.
This is an evergreen plant. The leaves are leathery with prominent veins, have a greenish-gray color, reach 60 cm in length and 4 cm in width in the middle. The flowers are bisexual, large in size; the perianth is corolla-shaped and divided-leaved. Hollows often form in old trees impressive size, capable of accommodating a person.
In total, there are more than 150 species of dracaenas, but there are only 6 specimens of tree-like dragon trees. They have a wide variety of forms: trees, rhizomatous geophytes, shrubs and subshrubs. General characteristic feature for all types of dracaenas, it is a resinous sap, initially colorless, but when exposed to air it acquires a blood-red hue. When hardened, the resin becomes a glassy mass. The red color is due to the presence of pigments such as dracocarmine and dracorubin. Interesting feature dragon trees is that their life is divided into three important periods:
- youth;
- maturity;
- old age.
Adolescence is the period up to approximately 35 years of age. Maturity occurs when the tree bears its first fruits. It is then that the leaf scars disappear from the trunk and the formation of branches begins. During old age, precious resin is released. Plants are long-lived trees, as they live up to 7, or even 9 thousand years.
In those places where the dragon tree grows, tropical and subtropical climate. These are Africa, the islands of East Asia in the Indian Ocean, and the Canary Islands.
Application of resin and extract
Since ancient times, “dragon’s blood” - tree resin - has been used by Africans and Asians in folk medicine. Today, the resinous juice of the dragon tree is extracted by cutting the trunk. It is then processed under industrial conditions. The resin is supplied in the form of powder or pieces, sometimes with an admixture of bark. It is widely known in homeopathy and other branches of medicine.
Before planting, the seeds must be soaked in water with a growth accelerator for 2 days. Afterwards you need to rinse them in running water. Leaf soil, peat and sand in equal proportions are suitable as soil. Each seed is planted in a separate container, so as not to disturb the sprouted shoots later. It should not be surprising that at the very beginning the seeds will sit in the ground for a long time - about a month. After some time, growth will become more rapid.
Where do persimmons grow and is it grown in Russia?
When planting, you don’t need to go too deep into the ground; 2 cm is enough. It’s very convenient to use ready-made mini-greenhouses. You can make them yourself - you will need a regular plastic bottle. When growing in this way, accumulating condensate must be removed daily. To prevent seeds from getting out of the ground during watering, it is convenient to spray the soil or water through a tray. After they have sprouted, for the first 6 months it is necessary to maintain a constant air temperature - not lower than +24 °C.
Dragon tree or Dragon's blood tree - so named for its blood-red resin.
Grows in the mountains of the island of Socotra (translated from Arabic as “Dragon Blood Market”), located off the coast of Yemen, in the northwestern part Indian Ocean and a diverse variety of exotic plants
Belongs to the dracaena family (from the Greek dracaina - dragon), height on average 6–9 meters
One of the largest dragon trees grew on the island of Tenerife near the city of Icod. It was relatively low - only 23 m, but very thick - 15 m in girth. The tree trunk was narrowed at the base, and there was a large cavity inside. In the 15th century an altar was built in this tree, and then a staircase was installed there leading to the place where the tree began to branch.
In 1799, the famous traveler Alexander Humboldt, who saw this tree, was amazed by its appearance and suggested that it was the oldest tree on Earth. According to the scientist’s calculations, it was 6000 years old!
However, at present, based on observations of the growth of other dragon trees, researchers have come to the conclusion that the age of the famous plant was more modest - about 600 years. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to find out for sure, because in 1868 the tree died during a hurricane. Now the champion among dragon trees has become a plant with a trunk girth of 8 m and a height of 21 m. It grows in the vicinity of the city of Orotava (on the same island of Tenerife), and its probable age is about 280 years.
Dragon trees begin to bloom at the age of 8–10 years, and sometimes at 25–30 years. By this time, the trunk reaches a height of several meters, all the leaves fall off, and only clearly visible scars remain. The flowers open at night and emit a pleasant sweetish aroma that attracts moths.
After the first flowering, the trunk of dragon trees increases significantly in thickness, the scars from the petioles disappear, and the plant begins to branch in the upper part. Subsequently, flowering occurs irregularly - for example, the dragon tree in Tenerife bloomed only 11 or 13 times over 185 years of observation. Old trees form aerial roots and begin to actively secrete blood-red sap-resin - that same “dragon’s blood”. It contains the pigments dracocarmine and dracorubin, and is used to produce varnishes that coat metals. “Dragon’s blood” is also used in folk medicine, as well as for coloring wines. In the Canary Islands, "dragon's blood" was discovered in the caves of prehistoric people. It is believed that it was used for embalming.
Scarlet “dragon’s blood” is distinguished not only by dragon trees from Tenerife, but also by their relatives - cinnabar-red dracaena (D.cinnabari) from the island of Socotra, dracaena ombet (D.ombet) from Sudan, split dracaena (D.schizantha), growing in the mountains of Somalia, as well as the Cambodian dracaena (D.cambodiana), living in the mountains of China in Yunnan province.
If desired, you can grow a so-called false palm tree from a dragon tree. To do this, you need to cut off and root, after slightly drying, the top of the dracaena stem. After rooting, a leafy shoot will grow from the side bud, forming a trunk with a cap of leaves at the top.
Dracaena dracaena propagates very simply, like all dracaenas - by apical cuttings, it is very easily accepted, and caring for it is just as simple. It tolerates both bright sun and shade or partial shade. But bright, diffused light would be ideal. Moderate watering and fertilizing - from March to August a couple of times a month - will create excellent living conditions for the tree. It is clear that the leaves of dracaena need to be washed sometimes, and it itself needs to be sprayed, which is provided for in the usual care of such plants. The only thing that dracaenas love high humidity. And if you don’t provide it to her, the drying ends of the leaves will immediately tell you about it. But a lack of light can result in their falling off.
The indoor dracaena is replanted as the roots grow into a larger pot after about 3-4 years. It is worth providing the tree with good drainage so that there is no stagnation of water.
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