El Drago Tree on the Island of Tenerife
January 20, 2022
Photographer: Kevin Saragozza
Summary Author: Kevin Saragozza
During a holiday trip, I had the opportunity to admire the El Drago tree, also known as Drago Milenario or Drago de Icod de los Vinos. The tree is the oldest and largest living specimen of Dracaena draco, or dragon tree, found in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. It is said to be a thousand years old, although its exact age is disputed. In addition to being beautiful to photograph, El Drago is one of the symbols of Tenerife and was declared a national monument in 1917. This specific tree has been depicted on the 1,000 peseta note and it is also part of the coat of arms of the municipality of Icod de los Vinos. In addition, El Drago is a popular subject in local legends.
El Drago is about 65-69 feet (20-21 meters) tall and has a total circumference of about 65 feet (20 meters) from its more than 300 main branches. The trunk contains a 20 foot (6 meter) high cavity, accessible through a door, with a fan installed to provide ventilation. It is estimated to weigh about 154 US tons (140 tonnes). When it flowered in 1995, it had about 1,800 flowering branches, with its weight increasing by 7,700 pounds (3.5 tonnes) during the fruiting season.
Photo details: Sony a7iii + canon 16 35f4 is, 1/200 sec. f/8 35 mm iso 50
