Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep. is a small arborescent dragon tree native to Southeast Asia and southern China, valued both as an ornamental and as a source of dragon’s blood resin. The genus Dracaena comprises over 200 species, and Dracaena cambodiana belongs to the “dragon tree group” — the handful of species that produce the famous deep red resin when their stems are damaged. Smaller and more adaptable than its close relative Dracaena cochinchinensis, it has become the most widely cultivated dragon blood species in China and is increasingly used in standardised plantation programmes.
The species belongs to the Asparagaceae. The currently accepted name, Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep., is retained by POWO (Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew). In Vietnamese, the plant is known as huyết giác.
Origin and Natural Habitat
Geographic Range
The native range of Dracaena cambodiana extends from north-eastern India (Assam) through mainland Southeast Asia — Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam — to southern Hainan Island in China. The species was first described from Cambodia by Pierre and published by Gagnepain in 1934. In China, it has long been known from Hainan, and it was also recorded in Yunnan and Guangxi provinces. Its presence in India was only confirmed in 2019, when Jatindra Sarma discovered a population in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam — the first record of a strict dragon tree species on Indian soil.
Phylogeographic analysis using chloroplast DNA and nuclear microsatellites has revealed that Dracaena cambodiana has a Tertiary origin, with diversification of its populations occurring during the Pleistocene. Significant genetic differentiation exists among populations, with genetic drift playing a major evolutionary role. Several populations in northern Indochina show evidence of recent bottlenecks.
Habitat Types
Dracaena cambodiana occupies a wider range of habitats than the closely related Dracaena cochinchinensis. According to the Flora of China, it grows in forests and on dry, sandy soils from near sea level to about 300 m (1,000 ft). Other sources record it on limestone cliffs, in stone crevices, in jungle and on desert islands, particularly on Hainan. Some populations in mainland Southeast Asia are found on limestone hilltops at higher elevations.
The species shows excellent drought tolerance, consistent with its adaptation to rocky, well-drained substrates. Individual trees are often several hundred years old, and the species’ populations are typically associated with tropical forests or their rocky margins.
Botanical Description
Habit and Trunk
Dracaena cambodiana is a small, erect, evergreen tree-like plant with usually branched stems. It typically reaches 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) in height, occasionally growing to 10 m (33 ft). The bark is greyish brown. Unlike Dracaena cochinchinensis, the branch tips are not reddish. The internodes are much shorter than wide.
Foliage
The leaves are crowded at the tips of branches, sessile, sword-shaped and leathery, measuring 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28 in) in length and 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6 to 1.2 in) in width. They are bright green, with slightly undulate margins. The leaf base is not reddish (another distinction from Dracaena cochinchinensis) but completely covers the internode. The dense, neat rosettes of strap-shaped leaves give the plant an attractive, architectural appearance.
Flowers
The terminal inflorescence is branched, 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16 in) long, with a glabrous or nearly glabrous rachis (contrasting with the densely papillose rachis of Dracaena cochinchinensis). Flowers are borne in clusters of three to seven, on pedicels 5 to 7 mm long. The perianth is greenish white or pale yellow, 6 to 7 mm long, with a tube 1.2 to 1.6 mm and lobes 4.5 to 5 mm. The filaments are flat, approximately 0.5 mm wide, and lack the tuberculate surface seen in Dracaena cochinchinensis. In China, flowering occurs in July.
Fruits
The berries are approximately 1 cm (0.4 in) in diameter.
Dragon’s Blood: Resin and Traditional Medicine
Like Dracaena cochinchinensis, Dracaena cambodiana produces a deep red resin known as dragon’s blood (xue jie, 血竭) when its stem is damaged. The resin is produced by xylem parenchyma cells and accumulates in the wood. There is no secretory tissue: the only way to harvest the resin is to cut into the resinous wood, which means that traditional collection is inherently destructive.
Since its discovery as a dragon’s blood source in China during the 1980s, Dracaena cambodiana has become a major alternative to Dracaena cochinchinensis. The Flora of China explicitly notes that the dried resin can be used medicinally as a substitute for that of Dracaena cochinchinensis. In practice, Dracaena cambodiana is now regarded as the standard source of dragon’s blood in several Chinese provinces, including Zhejiang and Hainan, and it is the most widely cultivated species for this purpose.
The resin shares the same main bioactive compounds as that of Dracaena cochinchinensis: oligomeric flavonoids, dihydrochalcones, stilbenoids and phenolics derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway. Its pharmacological properties include antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumour and cytotoxic activities.
Artificial Induction of Dragon’s Blood
A particularly promising line of research involves inducing dragon’s blood formation from leaves rather than stems. Since Dracaena cambodiana grows slowly but produces abundant foliage that regenerates annually, leaf-based production offers a non-destructive harvest method. Inoculation with Fusarium proliferatum strains has been shown to effectively elicit resin production in leaf blades, yielding dragon’s blood that is similar in chemical profile and anticoagulant activity to stem-derived resin, with higher total flavonoid content and stronger antimicrobial activity. This approach, combined with endophyte-mediated induction, is the subject of intensive ongoing research.
Ecology
Dracaena cambodiana grows extremely slowly under natural conditions, and only mature, perennial trees that have been damaged over an extended period accumulate significant quantities of resin. Recent metagenomic studies of endophyte communities on Hainan Island have revealed that endophytic fungi play a vital role in the resin formation process. Certain fungal genera, including Cladosporium, Fusarium and Sporidiobolus, are positively correlated with dragon’s blood components, while others appear to maintain the plant’s microenvironmental homeostasis. Wound-induced defence responses — involving jasmonic acid, salicylic acid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways — are now understood to be central to the formation of dragon’s blood.
Taxonomy and Naming
The genus name Dracaena comes from the Greek drakaina, meaning “female dragon”, referring to the dragon’s blood resin produced by several species in the group. The specific epithet cambodiana is a Latin adjective meaning “from Cambodia”, the country where the type specimen was collected.
The species was described by Pierre and published by Gagnepain in 1934. Its only synonym is Pleomele cambodiana (Pierre ex Gagnep.) Merr. & Chun, reflecting the now-abandoned genus Pleomele. The taxonomic history of Dracaena cambodiana is relatively straightforward compared with many other members of the genus — unlike Dracaena cochinchinensis, it has not been lumped into a broader species concept by POWO.
Comparison with Dracaena cochinchinensis
The two species are closely related and share the ability to produce dragon’s blood, but they can be distinguished on several morphological and ecological grounds. Dracaena cambodiana is smaller (typically 3–4 m versus 5–15 m), grows at lower elevations (near sea level to 300 m versus 900–1,700 m), has a glabrous inflorescence rachis (versus densely papillose), non-reddish branch tips and leaf bases (versus reddish), and non-tuberculate filaments (versus tuberculate). Ecologically, Dracaena cambodiana is more adaptable, tolerating both dry sandy soils and forest understory conditions, whereas Dracaena cochinchinensis is more strictly associated with exposed limestone cliffs at higher elevations.
Conservation Status
Dracaena cambodiana is classified as a national second-class protected species in China, listed in both the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants and the Key Protected Inventory of Wild Plants. However, it has not been formally evaluated by the IUCN and is not recognised as endangered or protected in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.
In India, the recently discovered Karbi Anglong population has been regionally assessed as Critically Endangered, with severe threats from mining activities. Elsewhere, wild populations are declining due to overexploitation for resin and habitat destruction. Several populations show genetic evidence of recent bottlenecks.
To offset pressure on wild stocks, approximately 2,500 hectares of Dracaena cambodiana plantations have been established in Yunnan, Guangxi and Hainan provinces. Standardised cultivation techniques have also enabled the species to be grown as an ornamental tree in higher-latitude regions of China.
Cultivation
Hardiness
Dracaena cambodiana is a tropical species. Its natural occurrence near sea level in Hainan and lowland Southeast Asia indicates a requirement for warm, frost-free conditions. USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11 are appropriate. The species should be considered strictly frost-tender.
Light
Dracaena cambodiana tolerates a wider range of light conditions than Dracaena cochinchinensis. It grows both in forest understory and on exposed rocky sites, suggesting adaptability from bright shade to full sun. In cultivation, a bright position with some protection from the most intense afternoon sun is likely to produce the best foliage.
Soil and Growing Medium
The species is adapted to well-drained, often sandy or rocky substrates. It shows excellent drought tolerance and grows on both limestone and siliceous soils. In cultivation, a free-draining mix with moderate organic content is appropriate. Heavy, waterlogged soils should be avoided.
Watering
Moderate watering during the growing season, allowing the substrate to dry between irrigations. The species is more drought-tolerant than many other cultivated Dracaena species, consistent with its rocky, well-drained natural habitats. Winter watering should be reduced significantly.
Container Growing
Given its moderate size and slow growth, Dracaena cambodiana is well suited to container cultivation. It makes an attractive specimen for conservatories, heated greenhouses and indoor settings with good light. Its manageable stature — typically remaining below 4 m (13 ft) — is an advantage over the larger Dracaena cochinchinensis.
Garden Use
In tropical and warm subtropical gardens, Dracaena cambodiana can be used as a specimen plant or in mixed plantings. Its branching habit and neat leaf rosettes provide year-round architectural interest. It combines well with other tropical and subtropical species in rocky garden settings, raised beds or gravel gardens.
Propagation
Seed
Propagation from fresh seed is possible. Germination is slow, consistent with the species’ overall growth rate.
Cuttings
Dracaena cambodiana propagates readily from stem cuttings. As noted in the botanical literature, only a small piece of the plant is required to form a new individual, and even discarded pieces may root. This ease of vegetative propagation has facilitated the establishment of plantations across southern China.
Tissue Culture
Tissue culture protocols have been developed for Dracaena cambodiana, supporting mass propagation for both reforestation and commercial dragon’s blood production.
Potential Problems
In cultivation, the main risks are overwatering, waterlogged substrates and frost damage. The species’ slow growth means that recovery from cultural errors is lengthy. Mealybugs, spider mites and scale insects may affect plants under glass. In plantation settings, the relationship between endophytic fungi and resin production adds a dimension of complexity: certain fungal communities promote resin formation, while pathogenic strains must be managed carefully.
Ornamental Value
Dracaena cambodiana is an attractive, compact dragon tree with considerable ornamental merit. Its slender, branching stems, dense rosettes of bright green sword-shaped leaves and manageable size make it suitable for both outdoor and indoor use in warm climates. Its cultural significance as a dragon’s blood tree — linking it to the legendary Dracaena draco of the Canary Islands, Dracaena cinnabari of Socotra and Dracaena ombet of the Horn of Africa — adds a layer of botanical and historical interest. The species also has educational value, illustrating the remarkable wound-induced defence chemistry that produces one of the most ancient plant resins known to medicine.
Sources
Plants of the World Online (Kew) https://powo.science.kew.org/…
Flora of China (eFloras) http://www.efloras.org/…
World Flora Online https://www.worldfloraonline.org/…
GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility https://www.gbif.org/…
References
Gagnepain, F. 1934. Dracaena cambodiana. Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France 81: 286.
Zhengyi, W. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) 2000. Flora of China 24: 1–431. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
Sarma, J., Barbhuiya, H.A. & Dey, S. 2019. First report of a strict dragon tree species (Dracaena cambodiana: Asparagaceae) from India. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas 13(1): 241–247.
Zhao, J.-L., Zhang, L., Dayanandan, S., Nagaraju, S., Liu, D.-M. & Li, Q.-M. 2013. Tertiary origin and Pleistocene diversification of dragon blood tree (Dracaena cambodiana – Asparagaceae) populations in the Asian tropical forests. PLoS ONE 8(4): e60102.
Ou, L.C., Wang, X.H. & Zhang, C.H. 2013. Production and characterization of dragon’s blood from leaf blades of Dracaena cambodiana elicited by Fusarium proliferatum. Industrial Crops and Products 45: 230–235.
Ding, X., Zhu, J., Wang, H. & Chen, H. 2020. Dragon’s blood from Dracaena cambodiana in China: applied history and induction techniques toward formation mechanism. Forests 11(4): 372.
Li, Z. et al. 2025. Spatiotemporal composition and diversity of endophyte communities in Dracaena cambodiana on Hainan Island. Frontiers in Microbiology 16: 1544671.
Ghoshal, P.P., Chakrabarty, T., Kumar, A. & Dey, S. 2021. Conspectus of the genus Dracaena (Asparagaceae) in the Indo-Burmese region. Journal of Economic and Taxonomic Botany 45: 20–32.
Plants of the World Online. Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
World Flora Online. Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagnep. World Flora Online Consortium.