Umbrella-shaped Dragon's Blood Trees (Dracaene cannabari) are endemic to Socotra Island and flourish above 3,000 feet. Their closest relative is found the other side of the African continent in the Canary Islands.Once known as Indian Cinnabar, the bright red resin of the Dragon's blood Tree is harvested every three to four years and exported as a natural dye. It is also used on the island to decorate pottery and as a medicine; women drink a decoction of it to stop internal haemorrhaging. It was widely used in Roman times as an antiseptic for wounds. For centuries, the best Italian violin-makers used it to stain wood.