La Provincia - Diario de Las Palmas
De ilustres viajeros a escritores: la finca que esconde el árbol más simbólico …
Un jardín de casi tres siglos resguarda un árbol que desafía a la historia
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Unraveling the Mystery: The Centuries-Old Dragon Tree of Sitio Litre in Tenerife
Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife – The historic Sitio Litre, a property dating back to 1730, continues to captivate visitors with its rich past and a botanical enigma: the age of its magnificent dragon tree. While the owners claim the tree is approximately 600 years old, predating even the house and the conquest of the island, other estimations place its age between 200 and 300 years. This discrepancy sparks a fascinating debate among botanists and historians. The video, presented by BioloMarcos, a biology professor, highlights the popular method for estimating a dragon tree's age by counting its floral periods and multiplying by 15. Applying this rule to a painting by Marianne North from 1875, the tree would have been around 120 years old then, suggesting a current age closer to 200 years. However, the video emphasizes that this is merely an estimation, not a precise dating method. Accurate dating would require scientific techniques such as carbon-14 analysis on suitable material and a well-designed study. Sitio Litre itself boasts a storied past, initially linked to the wine trade before being acquired by English merchant Archibald Little (later 'Litre') in 1774, giving the estate its enduring name. Its gardens are celebrated as among the oldest in the Canary Islands, housing a diverse collection of exotic species and Macaronesian endemic plants, including the vibrant Bird of Paradise flower from South Africa and the unique Verode. The property has attracted numerous illustrious visitors throughout history, including the renowned naturalists Alexander von Humboldt and William Wilde, explorer Richard Francis Burton, and acclaimed author Agatha Christie, all drawn by its exceptional flora and tranquil ambiance. The dragon tree, a silent witness to centuries of history, remains the estate's most cherished secret, its true age a subject of ongoing intrigue.
