The dragon tree is native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Madeira, Azores, and part of Morocco.
It is not found wild in North America. When branches or the trunk are cut, they ooze a red resin—"dragon's
blood." The resin is used to color the varnish used for Stradivarius violins and in a photoengraving process.
Identification: Dragon trees cannot be confused with any
other type of tree. Its foliage forms a dense, umbrella-shaped canopy of thick, moisture-retentive,
stiff sword-shaped
leaves. This canopy is shaped to funnel rainwater inward toward the trunk, where it is channeled
to the roots; and it is thick enough to shade the roots to reduce evaporation. They reach heights of 39′ (12 m). It grows very
slowly, and some specimens are believed to be 650 years old.