My passion and I

Hi, my name is Mark and my passion for the Dragon Blood Tree began during one of my visits to my birth islands (the Canary Islands). In Tenerife, I encountered the beautiful and mysterious 'Drago Milenario' in ‘El Parque del Drago’. This dragon blood tree is estimated to be around 1000 years old and is the largest of its kind on Earth.

The magic of the Dragon Blood Tree.

Several legends tell of this magical and mysterious tree. The dragon blood tree was already associated with magic and alchemy in ancient times, as it is the only tree in the world that produces red resin instead of white. This resin is called Dragon's Blood and possesses 'magical' properties. Additionally, it removes toxic substances from the air and is less susceptible to diseases and pests. Unfortunately, this species is currently threatened with extinction. Intrigued by its size and magic, I took a few seeds home and planted them in the ground. A month and a half later, a small sprout emerged from the ground, which has now grown into a beautiful "tree" about 3 meters tall.

Growth fascinates me.

The fact that such a small seed can grow into a beautiful tree fascinated (and still fascinates) me, leading me to order more seeds and cultivate them as well. It is, of course, a tropical tree, which requires some creativity to grow in our climate. Nevertheless, I managed to accelerate and improve the germination process by testing, testing, and testing some more. Along the way, I built my own greenhouse from beams, polystyrene, and plywood sheets. Moreover, I installed a heating cable and fluorescent lighting with daylight that I can turn on and off at set times with a thermostat. This creates an "artificial" microclimate where the seeds feel comfortable and germinate quickly. Even the seedlings continue to grow a bit before I move them outside.

Of course, just having a greenhouse is not enough. A healthy growing medium free of harmful fungi and bacteria also plays a huge role in a good germination rate. I discovered that it is best to use coconut fiber soil mixed with perlite granules or simply just sphagnum that you keep slightly moist. I then soak the seeds in warm water for a day, dry them, and place them in a sealed container in the greenhouse. A few weeks later, the first seedlings appear to see the first daylight. Once I figured out the best method, I started growing them in large volumes (over 90% germination rate). This led me to another challenge: lack of space. Initially, our home and garden were sufficient. But soon it became clear that even that space was no longer enough. We were living in a tropical jungle, so to speak... My wife has a lot of patience with me and my hobby, but even that was just a bit too much ;-) The solution is a beautiful large winter greenhouse in the middle of Limburg, where they can now continue to grow well.

Hobby with a mission.

Now, 23 years later, my curiosity has grown into a significant hobby with a "mission." Namely, to protect the magic of the dragon blood tree. This is how the idea arose to combine my other hobby (online marketing/website building) with my tropical plant hobby. In addition to cultivating my dragon blood trees and now also other rare tropical plants, I have built my own website where you can order your own dragon blood tree, rare plants, and seeds.

If you too are inspired by the magic of the dragon blood tree and want to grow or buy one yourself, I warmly invite you to check out my shop and order a specimen. This way, you also contribute to preserving the magic of the dragon blood tree ;-)

I wish you a great day,

Mark