Dragon Blood Tree: These centuries-old trees ‘bleed’

Dragon Blood Tree is among the most distinctly unique trees on the planet and the way it grows gives a look of a giant umbrella sucked inside-out by the wind.

The tree scientifically known as Dracaena cinnabari is native to a single island in the Socotra Archipelago, off the coast of Yemen in the Arabian Sea.

It is an impression that the tree cries tears of blood however, as a matter of fact, it releases a red sap or resin, that is known as dragon blood. If you cut into this tree, the red resin will seep out, giving an impression of bleeding.

This could be used for multiple purposes including as medicine, lipstick, and even as a varnish for violins.

Dragon blood tree berries are heavily valued, particularly as food for livestock. Even just a few berries improve the health of cows and goats. However, an excess can cause illness, resulting in rationing.

The tree can grow more than 18 metres (60 feet) tall and 6 metres (20 feet) wide and can live up to 650 years. The branches of the dragon trees grow in an outward-forking pattern that gives them the look of a giant mushroom.

Despite all this, the future of the species is threatened. Habitat fragmentation and livestock grazing have reduced the tree to just a fraction of its native range. In some areas, young trees lack the species’ characteristic umbrella shape.

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The most significant problem is climate change. Socotra archipelago, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008, is drying out. Its once-reliable monsoon weather is becoming irregular.

As per Global Trees, the tree can expect to lose 45% of its potential habitat by 2080, and while expanding the Skund Nature Sanctuary could protect two potential refuge areas, this level of conservation work will not save the species.