Is Fluoride killing Tenerife's Dragon Trees in the Canary Islands?

Tenerife in the Canary Islands has a very rare tree that dates back to prehistoric times and has become a plant symbol for the island with the Drago Milenario (thousand-year-old Dragon Tree) that grows in Icod de los Vinos being famous worldwide as the oldest specimen of the species and a major tourist attraction. In the wild the Dragon Trees (Dracaena draco) have nearly died out from a variety of causes, including past destruction of the trees to harvest the resin and wood and due to development and habitat destruction, but now the ones grown for ornamental purposes in gardens and parks are also under serious threat.

All around Tenerife the Dragon Trees are diseased and dying and many have already died and been removed. Officially employed gardeners and tree surgeons have been doing their best to save the trees by pruning back all the diseased foliage but often it is too late and the growing point in the crown is too weak and dies. After that the rest of the tree follows suit.

This is a real tragedy because Dragon Trees are notoriously slow in growing and can take ten years or more before they flower for the first time and actually are starting to look like a tree. Dragon Trees start off with a rosette of spiky leaves and the trunk is formed as the dragon tree plant grows upwards and the leaves fall away as they die or are pruned.

Dragon Trees only branch after flowering but can reach enormous sizes with the passage of time. Sadly in Tenerife many are losing their lives very early for this species.

Dracaena in Latin means "female dragon" and there are many types. Other types of Dracaena are commonly grown as houseplants and in ornamental gardens.

The Dragon Tree is astrologically ruled by Mars because of the red sap it exudes and because of its reddish berries, spiky leaves and ability to withstand drought and difficult conditions. The Dragon Tree is a real plant warrior and Mars is the God of War but it is currently losing the battle.

So what is going wrong? Well, the Dragon Trees are getting plastered in sap-sucking scale insects and are also being attacked by a fungus, probably a species of Fusarium, causing brown spotting and weakening of the leaves.

It appears that this tough tree that has been around since prehistoric times has become weakened and its immunity is no longer able to fight off its attackers. It seems very likely to me that this has been caused by fluoride, which is in the domestic water supplies here.

Because the island has very little rain for most of the year most gardens and parks and public borders have to be watered regularly from hosepipes or water out of the tap. It is well known that species of Dracaena are highly susceptible to poisoning by fluoride, a toxin increasingly being used in public water in many countries supposedly to help prevent dental decay. This is very important to know if you are wishing to find out about dragon tree care and growing a dragon tree houseplant.

The truth of the matter is that fluoride is a toxic by-product of the aluminium industry. It was also used by the Nazis because it was known to cause docility among people who were consuming it and sterility.

It is believed in conspiracy theory that the powers-that-be are trying to achieve both these harmful effects because they are seeking a population that is easily controlled and are actually also wanting to drastically reduce our numbers in a human cull. It looks like the Dragon Tree is getting killed off in the process too.