Dragos Gemelos

La Palma, Canary Islands
Species	Dracaena draco
Coordinates	28°38′53″N 17°47′15″W
Height	15 metres (49 ft)

The Dragos Gemelos are two entwined Dracaena draco trees in Breña Alta, La Palma, Canary Islands. They are said to represent twin brothers who both fell in love with the same woman, and fought to the death, with the woman planting the twin trees to remember them.

Description

The trees are located in Breña Alta, 380 metres above sea level and close to the LP-301 road. They are in a small garden, with a corridor from the road to the square where the trees are located, which is surrounded by a hedge of avocado and fig trees. They are sheltered from the wind by nearby houses, and supported by two trunks.^[1]

The two trees are about 5 feet (1.5 m) apart, and have both grown to the same height of 15 metres (49 ft). They are around 200–250 years old, and are thought to have been planted around the same time, although the northern tree has a larger diameter (around 4 metres (13 ft)). The tree branches, where they meet, are closely interwoven.^[1][2]

They were located in the Las Gallanias farm, owned by Servando Perez, and were used for animal fodder. The trees have been depicted in the municipal heraldry of Breña Alta City Council since 1990, and the area that the trees live on is owned by the City Council.^[1] The trees are freely accessible, at a sharp bend of a nearby road.^[2]

Neither tree has internal hollows or aerial roots. The southern tree has a large part of its trunk that is missing bark.^[1]

Legend

Part of the tree tops

A mural depicting the trees, in San Pedro de Breña Alta

There are several versions of the legend about the trees.^[1]

One says that twin brothers, Urente and Timizara,^[1][2] natives of the area,^[3] both fell in love with a maiden named Urbina. The twins fought each other to both of their deaths, and Urbina planted two dragon trees at the location of their deaths to remember them,^[1] devoting her life to looking after the trees and their memory.^[1][4]

Another says that the two trees were planted by a woman in love with two twin brothers to get their attention.^[1]

It is said that the blood of the brothers flows in the trees, which has helped keep them alive for a very long time.^[5] Dragon trees excrete a red resin when their bark is cut ("Dragon's blood").^[6]

References

1. "Los legendarios Dragos Gemelos, dos troncos pero una misma copa". Pellagofio (in Spanish). 2 February 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
2. "Dragos Gemelos". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
3. Domínguez, Belén (2016). La Palma : tourist guide. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Ediciones A.M. ISBN 9788494438615.
4. "LOS DRAGOS GEMELOS" (PDF). Gobierno de Canarias. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
5. "Breña Alta". Turismo Rural Isla Bonita. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
6. Jura-Morawiec, Joanna; Tulik, Mirela (2015). "Morpho-anatomical basis of dragon's blood secretion in Dracaena draco stem". Flora – Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 213: 1–5. Bibcode:2015FMDFE.213....1J. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2015.03.003.