Happy birthday to La Linea’s twin brother, as this
year the city celebrates its 150th anniversary, mar-
king a new and “verdant” direction for the town.
On the afternoon of June 1, 2015, before the
stunned faces of onlookers, a majestic dragon tree
was carried through the neighbourhood of Santia-
go; it turned into Avenida de la Banqueta and then
paraded ceremoniously down Avenida del Ejercito,
where its noble form was then planted in a corner of
Princess Sofia Park.
This Dracaena Draco tree (Dracaenaceae) weighs
almost forty-five tonnes and is one hundred and for-
ty-six years old. Even so, this red sap tree revered
as magical by the Guanches (aboriginal peoples) of
the Canary Islands, is considered young, as trees in
the Dracaenaceae family can reach several hundred
years in age. Now settled in the La Linea park, it is
available to those who would like to acquaint them-
selves with this illustrious one hundred and forty-
five-year-old neighbour.
A sibling born from the soils of the Canaries, now
residing in the town of water - La Linea. A piece of
magic from Tenerife planted in a place where the
Mediterranean sways and the Atlantic approaches,
becoming one. A symbol of nature from the Canaries
living on a sandstone isthmus, now taking its right-
ful place on centre stage.
Just like the land from where it comes from, the
dragon tree is a tree bound to art. Upon its arrival in
southern Cádiz in 1870, its enchanting individuality,
mysterious DNA and its attractive allure seemed to
give life to the town of La Linea.
Its longevity and its unique and lush form make
it the only specimen of its calibre in the province
of Cadiz. Much like La Linea de la Concepcion it-
self, which it watches over, protects and beautifies.
Puente Mayorga had a two-hundred-year-old speci-
men that was included in the catalogue of singular
trees of the Junta de Andalucia, but it died a little
under a decade ago. In Callejon del Tinte in Cadiz
another similar specimen met a similar fate when
its trunk broke apart. There are other ancient trees
in Ubrique, Grazalema and Cádiz, but they belong to
different species.
The historic relocation of the tree was possible
thanks to the economic backing of the Amado and
Arana families who, additionally, and only a month
42
and a half after this altruistic and special event, con-
firmed that the tree as well as its one of its offspring,
would be donated to the residents of La Linea de la
Concepcion.
Diego Amado, agricultural technician and one of
the new owners of Villa San Juan, tells OTWO that
he remembers that it was, “a slow and difficult task
to get the tree to the park, which was the place had
always wanted it to go to”.
For his part, Ignacio Arana - another of the new
owners - says that “it is a unique specimen but our
commitment to the old property was to maintain it,
despite the expense that we incurred to move the
tree. Finally, the two specimens were moved to di-
fferent locations.”
Amado tells us that the areas were chosen out
of several locations proposed by technicians from
Doctor Arbol consultancy, “after analysing the sali-
nity, winds and the trees foliage so as not to impair
visibility, in the two chosen locations.”
The promise made to Mrs. Escobar was fulfilled.
The pledge to not only keep the hundred and fifty-
year-old specimen alive but to also to keep a second
tree born in the backyard of 59 Jardines Street which
also happens to be the offspring of the birthday boy,
became a reality. Two new spaces for two young
trees with so much history beneath their canopies.
A specimen that was planted as a fifty-centimetre
sapling by Mrs. Escobar’s parents, who decided to
plant it in their home to celebrate the new family
house, is today, still standing.
Mr. Amado reminds us that, in the spring of 2015,
Alberto Díaz - a technician for Doctor Árbol ack-
nowledged that “the tree is just a kid. The biological
cycles of trees are very different to ours. For exam-
ple, an oak tree can reach 2,000 years in age and the
Drago of Icod de los Vinos in Tenerife is around 600
or 700 years old. If we think about the maturity of
this tree, he is a very young individual.”
European company Doctor Árbol was responsible
for the transfer of the centennial dragon tree from
Villa San Juan to the Princesa Sofía park in La Li-
nea de la Concepcion, with the help of a Liebherr
Ltm 1250-6.1 telescopic crane and a metallic barred
crate together with a wooden case around the roots
to ensure it was lifted safely. The labour and machi-
nery were completed by Eurogruas. Next, a transport
OTWO 09 / APRIL 2020
team consisting of eight lines of Goldhofer trucks
pulled by an Iveco tractor unit finally unloaded the
tree at its new location. Just a few weeks ago the
environmental department of the city council remo-
ved half of the anchors supporting the structure and
confirmed that the La Linean Dragon Tree was now
secure.
The second and younger dragon tree is still an-
chored. It was transferred by staff from La Linea
town hall to the roundabout in front of the new
regional hospital and remains stong and continues
to grow. The support structure is a “simple precau-
tion,” Diego Amado confirms. The agricultural tech-
nician makes a curious reference to those who still
remember our old currency; “There was a dragon
tree on the old thousand peseta green bill. A tree
from a place with a climate similar to ours except
for the annual average temperature difference - the
Canaries”.
Every detail was considered.
Obstacles were removed.
Some small branches were pruned.
Streets were cut off to traffic, and in just a few
hours it became another chapter in the recent history
of La Linea.
A short yet difficult trip, which took a path along
some of our wider roads until reaching the corner
of the park that converges with the roundabout that
OTWO 09 / APRIL 2020
extends onto Gibraltar street. A few hours that left a
unique imprint on La Linea’s skyline.
Hundreds of people approached out of curiosity,
camera in hand to observe one of their longest-li-
ving neighbours. Social networks were flooded with
videos, photographs, comments and a lot of appre-
ciation. An outpouring of gratitude for the courage of
the Amado and Arana families, who despite the high
cost of this operation, did not hesitate to donate the
original tree but also a second specimen to the peo-
ple of La Linea. The son of Villa San Juan, who was
carefully placed by technicians and city workers in
its new home in the northern area of the town close
to the regional hospital, is still anchored as a precau-
tion. There, day by day, it can be a faithful witness
to the common stories of the people of this town, in
one of its busiest locations.
If you want to make a highly recommended visit,
go and see a unique specimen with 150 years of his-
tory for yourselves, a favourite son of all the people
of La Linean and an emblem of magic, art, the envi-
ronment and the uniqueness that he shares with La
Linea de la Concepción.
As the song by D. Alberto Cortez said:
My tree was left behind, and time passed
Today beneath its shade which has grown so
much
We have memories, my tree and I...
43