The dragon tree, as this handsome houseplant is better known, has travelled a long way from its home in Africa, but it’s brought a touch of the exotic with it. Its vivid red-striped leaves are said to have the blood of dragons running through them, and its sap was used for many centuries in medicine and as a paint pigment.
Nowadays, we appreciate its dramatic beauty for our living rooms and conservatories instead. Dragon trees come in various combinations of red, gold and pink, their spear-like leaves borne on sturdy, handsome trunks. Find it your sunniest spot and only water when the compost is dry.