Dragon's blood (sangre de drago)

Croton lechleri

A tree with a thick, blood-red sap. On the skin it dries quickly into a protective layer. Crofelemer, approved in the US since 2013 for diarrhoea in people with HIV, was developed from the sap.

Safety notes

Internal use is little studied; not in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Trees that are tapped often become weakened: choose sustainably harvested products. Not to be confused with dragon's blood resin from Asia.

Cautions by tradition (1)

Healing traditions of the Americas: Only on small, clean wounds. Internal use is little studied; not in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Preparation

The sap is tapped from the bark and rubbed directly onto the skin. Sometimes a few drops are taken in water.

Use in traditions

In Peru and Ecuador a widely used remedy for cuts, insect bites and blisters, and internally for stomach ulcers and diarrhoea. Indigenous communities also use it to stop bleeding after childbirth. In the markets of northern Peru it is, with cat's claw, among the best-selling remedies. The sap is often obtained by stripping the bark from a whole tree. The tree grows fast, but as long as most of it is harvested in the wild, the trade is not sustainable.

Applications

Use by tradition

How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.

Healing traditions of the Americas

Attributed effects

On small cuts, grazes, blisters and insect bites, to seal them.

Preparation and amount

Rub a few drops of sap onto the skin until a thin layer forms.

Caution: Only on small, clean wounds. Internal use is little studied; not in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Sources

All herbs from South America →