Which island is the dragon's blood tree endemic to?

Which island is the dragon's blood tree endemic to? The answer is Socotra.

The dragon's blood tree, Dracaena cinnabari, is endemic to Socotra, the extraordinary island archipelago belonging to Yemen in the Arabian Sea. It is especially associated with Socotra Island’s high plateaus, where its umbrella-shaped crown helps collect moisture from mist and dew.

The tree gets its dramatic common name from its dark red resin, traditionally called dragon’s blood. People on Socotra have used the resin as a dye, varnish, adhesive, and traditional medicinal material. The species is also Yemen’s national tree.

Dracaena cinnabari is one of only a small number of Dracaena species that grow into trees. Its unusual appearance reflects Socotra’s long geographic isolation and distinctive evolutionary history. The archipelago contains many endemic plants and animals, meaning they occur naturally nowhere else.

Socotra’s dragon trees face pressure from overgrazing, habitat degradation, reduced mist, and climate change. A useful distinction is that Socotra is both the name of the main island and commonly used for the wider archipelago; the species’ natural range is the Socotra archipelago.