The mayor of Icod, Diego Afonso, has been assisted by all political groups in Tenerife to call on UNESCO to honour the Dragon tree as a World Heritage Site.
The request was originally submitted in 2002, but came to a halt in 2004 when the Canary Island government's reports justifying why the ancient tree should be included in the World Heritage list was not submitted.
In 2011, with the support of Parque del Drago Technical Committe, Icod has taken up the gauntlet to create a milestone by making the Dragon tree the first plant species to be recognised in this way.
The Icod Dragon tree is one of the longest-living species on the planet, with an estimated age of more than an astonishing 1,000 years, a massive weight of over 70 tonnes, a colossal height of 22 metres and a tremendous trunk with a diameter of 10 metres.
Diego Afonso commented, "The Drago is not only a symbol of our city, but also a symbol for all Tinerfeños and the Canary Island people as a whole."
