A tree with thick, twisted branches spreads out like a giant umbrella shaped over centuries of growth. This is El Drago Milenario in Icod de los Vinos, on Tenerife, Canary Islands — a dragon tree (Dracaena draco) so old and legendary it feels like a living bridge between nature and history.
📍 El Drago Milenario on Google Maps.
Key Facts & Mysteries
- It stands about 18-21 meters tall, with a trunk circumference (at the base) of roughly 20 meters.
- Has over 300 main branches. In years of good flowering it can produce around 1,500 inflorescences.
- There’s a hollow cavity inside the trunk, about 6 meters high, with a door, and a fan was installed inside to keep air flowing and prevent fungus.
Age & Legend
- The exact age is uncertain. Estimates range from ~700 to ~1,000 years. Some older claims placed it as much older, but scientific methods can’t confirm very ancient ages for this tree reliably because it doesn’t form annual rings like many trees do.
- In local Guanche legend (the original inhabitants of Tenerife), the tree was revered as sacred.
- It is one of the symbols of Tenerife. It appears in the town’s coat of arms (Icod de los Vinos), and it was even shown on old banknotes.
Music For Drawing
Reference photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Note: The reference photo is real, while the sketch and the colored version were created with the help of AI to serve as inspiration for your own drawing.
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