dragon's blood tree
A slow-growing evergreen tree becoming sparsely branched, with terminal rosettes of sword-shaped leaves to 60cm in length and, on mature plants only, panicles of greenish-white flowers in summer followed by orange-red fruits
4-8 metres
2.5-4 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Under glass grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost in full light and shade from hot sun and with moderate humidity. Water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly from spring to autumn and keep just moist in winter. If growth is weak, plants can be cut back to within 15cm of the base in spring. Tolerant of low light levels indoors. See Dracaena for further advice
Propagate by seed at 18 to 21°C in spring or root semi-hardwood cuttings and leafless stem sections in spring with bottom heat
No pruning required
May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects under glass
Generally disease-free