Dragon’s blood tree, also known as blood dragon, is one of the strangest plants in the world .
From a distance, they look like green umbrellas, or giant mushrooms. The sap of the tree is bright red like blood, with a strong sour taste. When dry, they look like transparent pearls.
Dragon’s blood grows on the island of Socotra, which is the largest island in the Indian Ocean.
It took 10 years for the tree to reach a height of 1.2m, but then the dragon’s blood grew quite quickly. Dragon blood has a lifespan of up to 500 years.
The trunk is round and simple, the canopy is wide and the branches are twisted like giant blood vessels. The long, slender leaves are renewed every 3-4 years.
Dragon blood usually blooms in February every year, like small lilies, white, sometimes pale green and giving off a sweet scent when in full bloom.
It takes 5 months for the dragon’s blood to ripen red.
The birds are very fond of the fresh, red berry scent of dragon blood and flock to each other to enjoy when the fruit is ripe. Thanks to that, the seeds of the dragon’s blood were spread widely by the birds.
The unique shape of the dragon’s blood is a clever evolution that allows the tree to survive in harsh arid climates, where only a thin layer of soil is covered on vast rocks.
Each canopy of mature trees acts like a roof, providing shade, blocking direct sunlight and minimizing water evaporation for the young trees below.
Since ancient times, dragon blood has been praised by the people here and become a legend.
They used dragon blood to sacrifice to gods and it became an indispensable thing in sacrifices. The blood of this plant is used as a raw material for local “witches” to make charms.
Dragon’s blood is like a panacea, and people believe it can cure all diseases.
They use “dragon’s blood” to stop bleeding, heal rotten wounds , treat colic, sore throat, reduce fever, make toothpaste , and dye wool.
Not only used as medicine, from the 13th century dragon blood was exported to Italy. They used them to make varnishes for guitars, as a bonding agent, to mend broken pieces of ceramics, to manufacture candles.
Because it has a bright red color like blood, dragon blood is also used to produce cosmetics and beautify the lips.
