Quest to Find the Biggest Dragon Trees (Dracaena draco), in Santa Barbara, California
by Randy Baldwin, San Marcos Growers

On February 14, 2014, Matt Ritter, Cal Poly Professor and tree book author, threw down the gauntlet when he measured the large old Dracaena draco in Alameda Park (downtown Santa Barbara) and declared it the National US Champion Dragon Tree. Knowing that there were larger dragons hiding in private estates and gardens elsewhere in town, Matt's actions mobilized the plant forces in Santa Barbara to measure all of the biggest dragon trees to determine which was actually the largest. Emails quickly went out and a committee was rapidly formed that included arborists, architects, botanists and other plant freaks. A plea was made to the public to help through a Santa Barbara news blog called EdHat and soon we had a long list of large dragon trees to look at. On March 5, 2014 members of our dragon tree committee, including Randy Baldwin, Mollie Barker, Susan Chamberlin, Jeff Chemnick, Virginia Hayes, Duke McPherson, John Bleck and Don Harris (members Bob Cunningham and Tim Downey could not make it) went to the El Mirador Estate in Montecito to see one of the biggest dragon trees we had ever seen. We were led to the tree by Tita Lanning and Joe, the estate gardener who had recently retired after 55 years working at El Mirador. John Bleck, Jeff Chemnick and Randy Baldwin measured the tree using a 100 foot tape measure and a Nikon laser hypsometer to determine its canopy width, height and trunk circumference. Later that day Randy Baldwin, John Bleck and Jeff Chemnick measured what turned out to be a slightly shorter but bigger overall dragon tree at the Mount Calvary Monastery behind the Santa Barbara Mission. This amazing specimen is robust and healthy with a full dense canopy.

This committee's work is not done as there are likely other dragon trees that have yet to be measured (see list below of those identified) but we now have two larger dragon trees on the list that wil soon go up on the California Big Tree Registry.

39 feet tall

40 feet crown spread

181 inch circumference at Breast Height (54" DBH)

Points Formula
Trunk circumference in inches + Height in feet + 1/4 of the crown spread in feet = Total Points
181+39+ 10 = 230

41 feet tall

38.5 feet crown spread

164 inch circumference at Breast Height (54" DBH)

Points Formula
Trunk circumference in inches + Height in feet + 1/4 of the crown spread in feet = Total Points
164+41+9.6 = 214.6

Other large dragon trees noted in Santa Barbara

Alameda Park

Arrellaga Street Tree (21 East Arrellaga)

Camillo Fenzi Home (215 E. Padre Street)*

Casa del Herrero*

Cuesta Rd (Samarkand)*

El Paseo

Franceschi Park

Hitchcock Ranch*

Lotusland*(many)

Orpet Park

Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens*

Santa Barbara Mission

Sotto il Monte*

Valley Club Rd*

* Believe these are all worth measuring

History of Dracaena draco in Santa Barbara
Dr. Franceschi (Emanuele Orazio Fenzi) recorded Dracaena draco as already being planted in Santa Barbara when he surveyed the area in 1895. In his "Santa Barbara Exotic Flora: A Handbook of Plants From Foreign Countries" (Emanuele Orazio Fenzi, 1895) the listing for Dracaena draco (pg 18) states "Dracaena draco, the true Dragon tree from the Canary Islands, must be quite an old inmate of our gardens, judging from the large specimens existing in front of the Arlington Hotel, at the corner of State and Valerio streets, at Ellwood in Mrs. Cooper's garden, and at Carpinteria in the grounds of the late Professor Ford. The best evidence is anecdotal but we believe that that the tree was introduced into the area (and perhaps the state) by Sarah Cooper or Joseph Sexton. Sarah Cooper was a noted plantswoman of her day who had an interest in succulents and in "Tangible Memories" Judith M. Taylor notes that the two worked together to acquire seeds of various plants.

The first actual dated reference about the areas dragon trees is from "The Santa Barbara Gardener", a monthly publication put out by Lockwood and Elizabeth De Forrest. In the July 1926 issue (Vol. 1 No 8 pg. 8) there was a short piece about the Dracaena draco that had been located at the corner of Victoria and State Street (this would have been the grounds of the original Arlington Hotel) having just been moved to Alameda Plaza and 4 issues later in November 1926 there was an article noting that this tree was doing very well and that it had grown at its previous site for 50 years. The article further states "It makes us tired when people exclaim "But it is such an ugly tree!" We'll admit that it is not pretty but there is a certain rugged strength and character about it which to our mind gives a very great distinction. Here we have a tree, hoary with age and with the history and tradition of Santa Barbara. Need we remind our readers that it was a part of Mr. Sexton's very generous gift to the Arlington grounds in 1874 when that hostelry was struggling to get started." This article also notes that Mr. Huntington tried to buy the tree for $2,000 to move to another city (presuming this would have been San Marino). In the January 1932 issue (Vol 7 #2) it notes “Well, well, the old Dragon tree, Dracaena draco, is gone from Alameda. Some will say, “Thank heavens, that eye sore has been removed;” and others will shed a tear for the passing of "that fine, rugged old specimen," for such is taste and likes and dislikes." This means that the large dragon tree in Alameda Park is not the same as the one moved from the Arlington Hotel.

Other Historical tidbits we have found: Victoria Padilla in "Southern California Gardens: An Illustrated History" (1961) mentions that the entrance to Montarioso (now Franceschi Park ) was graced by "two sturdy groups of dragon trees (Dracaena draco), standing like guardians at the entrance to this modern garden of the Hesperides."

Peter Riedel in "Plants for Extra-tropical Regions" (published after Riedel's death in 1952) states "the "Dragon-blood-tree" from the Canary islands is well represented here, and when mature is an impressive plant. ... The largest specimen in Santa Barbara grew in the grounds of the Arlington Hotel and was moved to Alameda Park but failed to survive. … Although, it is only after many years growth that these plants become effective, they live for a long time and are well worth the waiting. At present they are but seldom planted"

In the 1974 "Trees of Santa Barbara" by Muller, Beittel and Broder they describe the El Mirador Dracaena draco as "about 45 feet tall with a trunk 5 feet thick." In Bob Muller and Bob Haller "Trees of Santa Barbara" (2005) it also mentions a specimen in the inner courtyard of the El Paseo. Visiting this tree recently we find that while it is tall, its circumference and head is small and spindly as it searches upward for light. (2/2014)

Dragon Trees outside of Santa Barbara
We contacted Don Hodel, author of "Exceptional Trees of Los Angeles", and Kathy Musial, curator at the Huntington Botanic Garden, to determine if there are larger specimens in the Los Angeles area but they knew of no larger plants. In "Ornamental Trees of San Diego" (2003), author Steve Brigham mentions an impressive group of specimens at the San Diego Botanic Garden (Quail) and on their website was an article about then retiring Director of Horticulture Dave Ehrlinger where he noted that the largest Dracaena draco in the San Diego area is the 100 year old specimen at the Hotel Del Coronado. This Hotel del Coronado Dragon Tree, while not being as big as most of our Santa Barbara trees, it is quite impressive the fact that it was in the background of Marilyn Monroe's "Some Like it Hot" well That's just HOT!