Croton salutaris

Croton salutaris is a tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It comes from southeastern Brazil, with its range reaching Paraná. Kew places it in the wet tropical biome. Sources call it sangre de grado and dragon's blood. These names refer to the red resin it yields. They also apply to other plants, so the scientific name matters. Useful Tropical Plants records this species as a wild plant.

Size accounts differ between the supplied sources and their entries. PFAF lists a height and spread of 39 feet [12 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants also gives 39 feet [12 metres] in its height field. Yet both describe trees reaching 33–66 feet [10–20 metres]. Thus, 39 feet [12 metres] is the listed garden-scale size, rather than a firm height limit. The trunk is usually under 1 foot [0.3 metres] thick. A cut or wound releases a dark red, fluid resin. The supplied accounts give no clear leaf, flower, or fruit details.

PFAF describes a fast-growing tree that needs a site without shade. It lists sandy and loamy soils as suitable growing media. The soil should drain well while staying moist. Its listed pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. PFAF gives USDA zones 10–12, which place it in warm-climate gardens. However, that source also says cultivation details are unknown. These broad growing notes do not amount to a tested care guide. PFAF lists seed as the means of propagation.

The main recorded use is for the tree's red sap. Useful Tropical Plants reports wild harvest for local use and trade. It also links this species' resin with external skin treatments. PFAF gives the species a high medicinal-use rating. Much of the longer medical account covers several trees sharing one common name. It does not clearly separate evidence for this species. Those broader claims cannot establish its own effects or safety. The sources provide no specific landscape uses beyond its tree form.

Neither plant reference records a known food use for this species. Both report no known hazards, but that does not prove safety. The supplied evidence gives no species-specific toxicity tests. It also offers no named pests or diseases. PFAF does not flag weed potential. Its recorded value rests on resin use rather than food.