The umbrella crowns
Dense above the trunks.
Rod Waddington — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Valerian Guillot from Cambridge, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Dragon's Blood Trees of Dixam are among the strangest natural sights in the world, on a plateau of the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. The trees spread their dense crowns like upturned umbrellas above rocky ground. UNESCO listed Socotra as a World Heritage Site in 2008, and a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on Earth. The dragon blood tree is the national tree of Yemen, native only to the Socotra archipelago, and named after the blood-red colour of its resin. Its leaves grow only at the ends of its youngest branches and are shed every three or four years as new ones mature at the same time. The tree branches when growth of the end bud stops, which creates its distinctive shape. You walk on rocky ground among old trees and look up from beneath at a thick, regular web of branches. At the edge of the plateau a deep valley and dark hills stretch behind them. Mountain cloud gives the place a mysterious air. Do not cut the resin or scratch the trunks, as these trees are sensitive and grow very slowly. It is about 26 km in a straight line from Hadibo and reachable only by four-wheel drive with a guide. Flights to the island change often and were interrupted in January 2026, so check before booking. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the whole of Yemen and tells anyone there to leave, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Dense above the trunks.
A thick, regular web.
A deep valley, dark hills.
Dixam plateau, Socotra Island, Yemen
Because of its dark red resin, the colour of blood.
Usually by air, but flights change often, so check with your tour operator before booking.