23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Artistic
Aloe Dragon Tree Trails

A blooming aloe flower provided a beautiful foreground with a lone Dragon Tree on the Diksam Plateau in Socotra, Yemen, under an evening of star trails. The Dragon Tree can only be found on the island of Socotra and is called such because of the thick red resin the Socotra locals call 'dragon's blood'.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Socotra, Yemen
Camera: Canon EOS R5m2
Copyright: © Greg Metro