Socotra Island Dragon Blood Trees and Goats

Dragon's blood trees dominate the parched landscape of Socotra, where they grow nowhere else in the world. These trees are called "dragon's blood trees" due to their distinctive red resin, used for centuries as medicine and dye. Yet, the future of Socotra's dragon blood forests — and the "alien" island itself — are endangered.

Earth's Umbrella Trees

The trees resemble a candelabra of branches. These form a dense, flat 12 meter crown that can shade the tree's own roots. The crown traps moisture from passing fog. On Socotra, goats eat the seedlings, leaving only ancient trees. These trees grow a mere 2-3 centimeters each year. It takes centuries to replace one.

A Unique Eco-Crisis

Socotra Island, off Yemen's coast, hosts unique flora and fauna. Dragon blood trees are endemic to the island. The trees are already endangered, but two cyclones in 2015 toppled thousands of trees. And natural regeneration is slow. Now introduced goats graze there too — eating the seedlings. The trees are vanishing quietly.

The Resin Revealed

The tree's red, resinous sap, called "dragon's blood", is used historically by various cultures. It had many uses: sealing wounds, dye, and even varnish for violins — the Greeks, Romans, and Arabs. The name comes from the Latin word for "dragon's blood" which meant "dragon". Occasionally, the resin was used as medicine, sealing wounds, and used as dye.

Nutrient Trappers

Umbrellas are the crown's dense foliage. That crown can sometimes extend 4 meters — wider than the trees are tall. It's not just decorative. The umbrella traps nutrients from mist and fog, and shades the tree's own roots. Each tree grows 9 meters tall, with crowns up to 12 meters wide. In Socotra's dry climate, that umbrella facade catches fog moisture and shades the roots.

Death from Above

Thousands of dragon trees were knocked down in 2015 by both cyclones, Megh and Chapala. These cyclones toppled thousands of Dragon's Blood Trees in a matter of days. This alone poses a risk to the trees.

A Tree That Takes Centuries To Replace

The Dragon's blood tree's growth is incredibly slow — around 2-3 centimeters a year. And the goats are exacerbating the problem. Introduced to the island, goats eat the seedlings. The trees reproduce slowly with almost every tree in the forests being old. This means maintaining the dragon blood tree population is a slow and time-consuming process.

Aiding Dragon Blood Growth

Maintaining dragon blood trees is a delicate process. To support the growth of new trees, you can:

• Remove goats — locals have to graze them in separate zones away from the forest and simultaneously supply them with food so they do not eat the seedlings.
• Plant seedlings — encourage growth by planting seedlings within the trees, using these goats.

Protecting the Trees

• Trap moisture — In a dry climate, the dense flat canopy catches moisture from fog and shades its own roots.
• Avoid injuries — avoid any injuries to the trees, the trees can take centuries to recover and replace an old one in case of an injury.