Hi Steemias!
When I found out the theme for today´s #smartphonephotography contest organized by @juliank and @photocontests is „trees“, I knew immediately what photo to submit.
Click on the image for full view
This is the legendary Dragon Tree, a subtropical tree-like plant native to only several isolated locations in the Atlantic Ocean.
Scientifically known as Dracanea Draco, the Dragon Tree can be found in Cape Verde, Madeira, Azores, Morocco and most notably, on the Canary Islands – particularly on the island of Tenerife where I lived.
The name of this extraordinary tree is derived from its unusual, reddish resin known as the dragon´s blood. The resin was once believed to have magical and healing properties, which is why the dragon trees were cut massively before the species became protected.
Due to its unique, ancient appearance, the Dragon Tree was also considered one of the oldest trees in the world. The famous specimen found in the town of Icod de los Vinos in Northwestern Tenerife was once believed to be up to 6,000 years old but recent surveys estimated the age of the tree to between only 250 and 365 years.
No matter how old these trees are and whether they have some magical power or not, they are definitely among the coolest and most interesting trees I have ever seen. I took the featured image with my smart phone outside the beautiful coastal town of Puerto de la Cruz, Northern Tenerife, in November 2016.
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