Facts about the Dragon Blood tree

Dragon Blood Tree Facts

Are you ready to learn about something cool today? Today, I want to tell you about the Dragon Blood Tree! But first, see if you can answer this trivia question.

 

Where do Dragon Blood trees originate from?

A.) North America

B.) Yemen

C.) Africa

D.) California

 

Dragon Blood trees, also known as the Socotra dragon tree, are big, beautiful trees that resemble an umbrella, but much bigger!! The umbrella shape of the tree helps protect the tree’s roots from the hot sun, and it also helps keep the sun from evaporating all of the water! Dragon Blood trees can grow to about 32 feet tall, and some say they grow to about 39 feet tall. That is very tall!! They are in the evergreen family. The Dragon Blood tree is native only to the island of Socotra, Yemen. Could you imagine standing under one of these trees? How cool would that be?

 

What is your favorite type of tree?

 

Facts about the Dragon Blood Tree:

1. Dragon Blood trees can live up to 600 years! That is a lot of years! The Dragon Blood tree grows very slowly. It takes about 10 years for the tree to grow about 3 feet. So, in 100 years, the tree would be around 30 feet! The tree stops growing taller once it reaches around 30 to 39 feet tall.

2. The Dragon Blood tree got its name from the sap that comes from it when it is cut. Its sap/resin is red and resembles blood. The sap/resin from this tree was used as medicine in ancient times. They even used the sap/resin from the tree to dye wood. Some wood on violins has been dyed with the sap/resin of the Dragon Blood tree.

3. The leaves and berries of the Dragon Blood tree are used as animal feed. They also use the leaves to make ropes. The Dragon Blood tree produces small white or green colored flowers that grow in bunches and bloom in February. The flowers are small and fragrant. The fruit from the Dragon Blood tree is a berry that usually has one (1) to three (3) seeds. The fruit takes about 5 months to become ripe. When the berry is ripe, it is orangish red in color and is usually eaten by birds and other livestock.

4. Dragon Blood trees grow in the woodlands of Socotra Island in Yemen, mostly on limestone plateaus.

 

Can you share a fact about Dragon Blood trees with us?

 

Books about Dragon Blood trees:

1. Dragon's Blood Trees Bleed! by Janey Levy

2. Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them by Bernadette Pourquie

3. Dracaena Draco, Dragon's Blood Tree by Walter Fitch Hood

4. Socotra (Bradt Travel Guide) by Hilary Bradt

Parents/caretakers, be sure books are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.

 

Thank you for reading my post!