El Drago Milenario is the Oldest Dragon Tree on Earth

Mystical and magnificent, the towering Drago Milenario worshipped by the ancient Guanche people of Tenerife is the natural symbol of the island. Native to the Canary archipelago, the dragon tree isn’t exactly a tree, but a tree-like plant in the asparagus family. It grows slowly beginning as a single stem and after a decade or so rebranches and produces its first flower spike. The new branches take another decade to again expand, creating an umbrella split each time. A red sap is secreted from the plant known as dragon’s blood, which was sacred in medieval times thought to treat illness.

You will find the oldest of all the dragon trees located in the town of Icod de los Vinos, within Parque del Drago. There is an entrance fee to get up close and personal with this giant, learn about it, Canarian culture, and view other endemic flora in the botanical garden that surrounds it.

With no growth rings there isn’t a sure way to tell exactly how old the specimen is, estimations vary from 200-400 years, not quite yet living up to its thousand year old name. However, the massive tree reaches over 70 feet tall, with a trunk circumference of over fifty feet, and over 300 main branches. How dazzling it would be to see the tree in bloom, when thousands of flowers make it 3.5 tons heavier! If you are short on time or cash, there is a free vantage point with a lovely look at the tree from Plaza Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres, which is an idyllic place to rest or have a picnic.