Sangre de Drago

Croton lechleri

Also known as Dragon's Blood, Sangre de Grado, Croton's Blood, Palo de Sangre

At a glance

Family

Euphorbiaceae (spurge family)

Type

Tropical tree

Parts used

Latex sap (resin), inner bark

Size

Grows 15 to 20 meters tall, with a slender trunk

Bloom

Small, inconspicuous white flower spikes

Habitat

Lowland Amazon rainforest of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil

Acquisition

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Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditional wound support

Soothes irritated skin

Traditional digestive comfort

Rich in protective plant compounds

Traditional uses

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For generations, healers among the Shipibo-Conibo and other Amazonian peoples have scored the bark of this rainforest tree to collect its thick, blood-red latex, prizing it as one of the forest's great first-aid remedies. The sap was traditionally dabbed directly onto cuts, insect bites, and irritated skin, where it dries into a natural protective seal. Taken in small, well-diluted amounts, it was also used traditionally to settle an upset stomach after long river journeys. Its striking color and quick-acting reputation made it one of the most traded botanical remedies to come out of the Amazon.

How to grow & use it

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Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

✦Remedies & preparations
✦ Growing guide
✦Harvest & storage

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Pairs well with

✦Chamomile
✦Calendula
✦Plantain leaf

Substitutes

✦Dragon's blood resin (Daemonorops or Croton species)
✦Myrrh resin

Choose it when

“When the forest itself seems to offer its hand, a crimson tear of sap for the small hurts of the day.”

Did you know?

Spanish explorers who first saw the tree's bark weep its deep red sap named it 'sangre de drago,' or dragon's blood, and the name has stuck in the Amazon ever since.

Safety

This latex can irritate skin or trigger an allergic reaction, so dilute it and patch-test before use, and don't apply it to deep, large, or infected wounds. Avoid internal use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.