What And Where Is The Drago Milenario?

Drago Milenario is a tree that belongs to the Dragon family of trees. It is over 1,000 years old, but still shows no sign of falling. However, some botanists have concluded that the tree's age is between 300 and 400 years. Drago Milenario is a Spanish phrase that loosely translates to “a dragon tree that is a thousand years old.” It is the largest and the oldest Canary Island dragon tree that still exists and also the most popular dragon tree in the world. The Drago Milenario is located in Icod de Los Vinos, a municipality in the Spanish’s Canary Island (Tenerife)

Overview Of The Dragon Trees

Dragon trees propagate from a single stem. The branches start to sprout out when the tree has grown for 10 to 15 years. More branches propagate after 10 more years.The new branches grow at the end of older branches. The sequence of branch propagation of dragon trees gives the trees a characteristic crown only unique to these trees. Dragon trees are popular in the Canary Island and in Morocco. The trees produce sap that contains some unique compounds. The sap has been known to have an ability to treat many illnesses such as leukemia.

Physical Description Of Drago Milenario

The tree has a height of 16.4 meters and a circumference of 17.4 meters, and approximately 300 main branches. During the flowering season, approximately 1800 flowers of the Drago Milenario blossom. This makes the tree at most 3.5 tons heavier. In the 1930’s the base of the tree was reinforced with concrete. The concrete helps stabilize the tree and prevent its possible collapse. The concrete camouflages well with the trunk of the tree, without keen observation it is barely noticeable.A door has been fixed on the trunk of the tree. The door enables access to a 6 meters cavity crafted into the tree’s trunk. The cavity has a fan fixed in it. The fan enhances air circulation in the tree trunk.

History Of The Drago Milenario

In 1917, the tree was declared a National Monument. Its exact age of remains a mystery to specialists and people living around it. In the 1800s, the tree was located in between buildings and streets. Some of the buildings were pulled down to allow access. In 1985 a fan was installed in the trunk of the tree to enable air circulation.In 1993, the nearest street to the tree was diverted, and a park created around the tree. The park is approximately 3 hectares. By 1996, the park was already established. Before the Drago Milenario, there existed an older Dragon tree located in Tenerife near Orotava. The 21 meters tall tree was destroyed by a storm in 1868.

Visiting Drago Milenario

After the park was established, other trees endemic to the Canary Island were planted. These trees, besides the Drago milenario, attract tourists to the park. However, the Drago Milenario remains the prime tourist magnet in the park and in the city of Icod. Tourists are required to pay entry fees before they are allowed into the park. The serene environment around the park keeps the flow of tourists around the park constant.