Dracaena is one of the most beautiful decorative deciduous plants. It is also a frequent resident of apartments and houses. Perhaps this plant also lives on your windowsill. But did you know that this extraordinary plant is legendary in Aztec and Indian culture? If not, then fasten your seat belts; we are going on a time journey and exploring the legends of the origin of Dracaena.
Aztec love legend
A long time ago, when everything was not like today, in one tribe, a girl and a boy lived. The young man was strong and brave, as befits a real warrior; his name was Tetzkaomatl. The girl, on the other hand, was fragile and delicate as a flower. Her name was Kielkatzkuotl. Their love for each other was fiery and passionate. They wanted to spend their whole life together. Humanity has never known such love.
However, Kelkatzkuotl was not an ordinary girl; she was the daughter of the High Priest. Having learned about his daughter's love for a simple young man, the girl's vain father became angry and was against this union in any possible way. According to the law, since Tetzkaomatl was not a man of blue blood, he had no right to marry the High Priest’s daughter.
But love and an irresistible desire to be with his beloved haunted the young man, and he dared to ask the beauty's hand. For the High Priest, this act was an insult. He noticed a dry stick lying nearby, angrily stuck it into the ground, and said:
"You must water this dry stick for five days. If at least one green leaf grows on it, then I will let you marry my daughter. But if after five days the stick does not come to life, you will be sacrificed to the gods for your insolence."
The young man followed the order of the High Priest. He visited the temple every day, but his beloved girl shed tears because she did not believe life would sprout from a dry trunk. By the fourth day, the efforts of Tetzkaomatl yielded results. A weak sprout broke out of the dry stick. And on the fifth day, the dry bar turned into a beautiful tree covered with long green leaves. Tetzkaomatl could not believe his eyes and ran to the house of the High Priest to tell him about this miracle. The Priest, seeing a beautiful tree in the place of a dry stick, kept his word and allowed the couple to get married. Since then, Tetzkaomatl and Kielkatskuotl have come to this tree every day and thanked the gods for the happiness they acquired. That tree with a dry stem was named Dracaena.
Indian legend
An old Indian legend tells that a mighty bloodthirsty dragon lived on the island of Socotra, which was located in the Arabian Sea a long time ago. The dragon became used to attacking elephants and drinking their blood. But one day, an old and robust elephant that was defending himself fell on the dragon and crashed into him. Both creatures died; their blood mixed and moistened the ground around them.
This soil gave birth to the unusual trees called dragons, or Dracaena (from Greek, "female dragon"). Dracaena emits a resinous sap that enters the trunks in the form of red spots., which the locals call "the blood of two brothers.”
Canarian legend
When the island of Tenerife was discovered, explorers found a strangely shaped tree with a thick trunk and a large hollow inside. Its height was 23 meters, its diameter was more than 4 meters, and its trunk circumference was 15 meters. Residents considered the tree sacred; they placed an altar inside its hollow to pray. These days, Dracaena grows more petite in size but still fascinates the islanders and millions of house planting enthusiasts worldwide.
Dracaena has so many different unofficial names, such as "dragon tree," "tree of love and happiness," "dragon blood." It is believed that it "absorbs" positive energy as if it serves as an antenna for this; therefore, there is another name - "antenna." Legends inspire plant owners to treat them with even greater awe. They give names to flowers in tune with myths; this provides a bit of magic into your household and creates a great atmosphere.
