Dragon tree
Dragon tree (Dracaena draco)
Dracaena draco is the Canary dragon tree — dense blue-green rosettes in an umbrella on a thick branching trunk, bleeding red dragon's-blood resin, slow and drought-tolerant, specified as a sculptural landmark where decades of character justify cost.
Spec
At a glance
- Botanical name
- Dracaena draco
- Family
- Asparagaceae (Dracaenaceae)
- Common names
- Dragon tree, dragon's blood tree
- Origin
- Canary Islands and Macaronesia
- Plant type
- Tree dracaena (desert-tolerant)
- Mature height
- Often 5–12 m+ over very long life; extremely slow
- Trunk / form
- Thick branching trunk; umbrella of dense blue-green rosettes
- Crown spread
- Umbrella rosette canopy — iconic silhouette
- Growth rate
- Very slow — large specimens are bought, not grown quickly
- Light
- Full sun; open horizon
- Water needs
- Low; rots in wet soils
- India climate suitability
- Dry warm India with drainage; poor in humid waterlogged sites
- Cold/heat & salt/wind tolerance
- Drought-heat hardy; wet roots lethal; large specimens costly
- Typical supply size
- Umbrella crown classes 2–6 m trunk [Unverified]
- Lead time (sourcing)
- [Unverified] Canary/Macaronesia nursery or India-held dragon trees
- Install considerations
- Protect umbrella in rigging; gravel mound; decades-long expectations
- Maintenance level
- Low dry AMC; resin wounds historical curiosity only
- Cautions
- Very slow; drainage (rot in wet); large specimens costly
Supply
Latest import activity
- Imported on
- 28 Jun 2026
- Source
- Flemings Nurseries (sample)
- Availability
- Reserved
- Lot
- Dracaena draco — branched field specimen
Gallery
Specimen visual guide
Visual context for placement, scale, handling, and landscape integration.
Section
Where it's used in premium projects
Dragon tree is the umbrella-form landmark — resort xeric nodes, estate entries, and Mediterranean gravel plazas where thick trunk and blue-green rosette umbrella read as Macaronesian sculpture, not fast shade.
Section
Climate & site suitability in India
Drainage remains mandatory in Indian monsoon — humid clay kills draco despite drought marketing. Full sun tightens umbrella form; shade produces loose rosettes. Programme slow growth in owner communications.
Section
Sourcing & acclimatisation
Large umbrellas are scarce — photograph crown symmetry and trunk thickening. [Unverified: Canary import vs India-held draco specimens.] Dragon's-blood resin is historical curiosity — do not harvest landscape specimens without expert plan.
Section
Installation (pit, soil, drainage, bracing)
Umbrella crowns are rigging-sensitive — pad trunks, avoid rosette crush. Gravel mounds with monsoon overflow; never pair with lawn irrigation. Resin bleeds from wounds — protect bark in transport.
Section
Establishment & AMC
Overwatering is the primary killer — AMC dry-down trumps sympathy irrigation post-monsoon. Very slow growth means design photos should use current crown, not imagined decade size.
Section
Cost drivers
Explore
Related
Related
Related links
Services, segments, cost, and proof.
- Softscape & horticulture
- Irrigation & water management
- Landscape maintenance (AMC)
- Hotel & resort landscaping
- Luxury resort & spa landscaping
- Mall & retail landscaping
- Corporate campus landscaping
- Projects
- Commercial landscaping cost guide
- Pricing drivers (imported trees)
- Import compliance workflow
- Request a site assessment
- What is the dragon tree umbrella form?
- Dense blue-green rosettes on a thick branching trunk creating an umbrella silhouette — the Macaronesian landmark character.
- What is dragon's blood resin?
- Red sap historically traded from wounds — landscape specimens should not be harvested; it is cultural context, not AMC output.
- How fast does Dracaena draco grow?
- Very slow — buy umbrella maturity because annual increment will not deliver design size within a typical hotel opening window.
- Can draco survive humid Indian coasts?
- Only with engineered drainage and dry AMC — waterlogged roots rot despite heat tolerance.
- How does draco differ from arborea?
- Draco is slow Canary umbrella desert icon; arborea is faster tropical tree-like swords for atriums — different BOQ and climate story.
- What import checks apply to dragon trees?
- Macaronesian Dracaena needs accurate species documentation for Indian quarantine — draco vs fragrans label errors delay clearance (informational, not legal advice).
- What should draco BOQs document?
- Umbrella symmetry, trunk thickening, provenance, crane scope, gravel mound, and dry AMC — not generic dracaena shrub rates.