![]() ![]() ![]() Till this day, many amazonian tribal people use Dragons’ blood to cure a long list of symptoms and diseases, like diarrhea, hemorrhages, eczema, skin infections, stomach ulcers, stings and bites, respiratory conditions, herpes, and even cancer. With the monsoon season becoming more and more patchy and unreliable and few populations being capable of regenerating naturally, some of the young trees are starting to lack its characteristic shape and the population is drying up.įound primarily in the rainforest of Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, the Dragon Tree has for many centuries been both as common as it is important for South American folk medicine. Despite this, the future of the species is uncertain. The dragon tree’s striking looks and ancient age are due to the species being expertly adapted to its environment. The monsoon season brings these areas cloud, drizzle and sea mists, and the dragon trees’ leaves intercept this airborne moisture, channelling it towards root systems shaded by a dense, umbrella-shaped canopy. Residing between the African continent and the Middle Eastern peninsula, the island of Socotra’s 34-million-year separation from mainland Arabia has given rise to a unique flora, 37% of its plant species are found nowhere else. In Socotra, the preservation of the Dragon Tree is specifically challenging because of the islands’ isolated but changing climate. The creation of a network of protected areas is in progress, potentially offering a refuge for some of the species’ populations. In Cape Verde, the species is protected under national law from picking and uprooting. The tree is becoming very rare and seed must be manually processed in order to germinate, in all parts of the world. The processing of Dragon Tree seeds through the digestive tract of this bird helped stimulate germination and it is possible that the loss of this bird species has led to a decline in naturally occurring Dragon Trees. Approximately five hundred years ago the fruit of the Dragon Tree was the staple food of an endemic, Dodo-like, flightless bird that is now extinct. The tree once played an important ecological role. Dragon’s Blood is also popularly applied to insect bites and stings. Drops are applied as needed to cover the affected area and allowed to dry with or without a physical bandage. Externally, Dragon’s Blood is renowned for its use on skin and is commonly referred to as a liquid bandage. This is the first botanical drug approved by FDA for oral use. Traditional use of Dragon’s Blood led to the development and subsequent FDA approval of an anti-secretory, anti-diarrheal drug based on an isolate from Dragon’s Blood sap. Internally, it is an important remedy for gastro-intestinal issues. After Landon, a hundred-headed dragon, is slain, red blood flowed out upon the land and from it sprung up the trees that we now know as ‘Dragon Trees’.ĭragon’s Blood sap is a rich, complex source of phytochemicals including alkaloids and procyanidins (condensed tannins). The tree also played a role in the Greek myth: “The Eleventh Labour of Hercules: The Apples of the Hespérides”. The Guanche people of the Canary Islands used Dragon’s blood in their mummification processes, in Ancient Rome, ‘Sangre de Drago’ was used as a colorant, and across Europe it has been used as a varnish and anti-oxidant for iron tools. ![]() The trees are well-known for its red sap, which is strikingly called ‘Dragon’s Blood’ by the local native people in both the Mediterranean, Middle East and South America, and highly valued for its many properties. The Canary Islands Dragon tree, the Socotra Dragon tree in Yemen and the Croton Lechleri tree growing in vast parts of South America are all relatives and they’ve all been long used and valued by the people living within its natural range, even by those living further afield. ![]()
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