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Resins from different species and different continents have been given the name dragon's blood, and their purity, appearance and chemical properties are highly varied. At least two distinct types of true dragon's blood resin have been recognised, from Dracaena and Daemonorops species. These true resins include the East Indian dragon's blood from Daemonorops draco and the Socotran dragon's blood from Dracaena cinnabari. Daemonorops draco, now called Calamus draco, is a rattan palm of southeast Asia and the primary source of commercially harvested dragon's blood today. Daemonorops draco grows in Sumatra, the Riau Archipelago and Borneo. Calamus resin has become the most commonly sold type in modern times, often in the form of large balls of resin.

Dracaena cinnabari, the dragon blood tree, is endemic to the island of Socotra and has an umbrella-shaped crown. Dracaena draco is a tree native to the Canary Islands and Morocco. Its resin is exuded from the wounded trunk or branches, and dragon's blood is obtained by the same method from Dracaena cinnabari. Croton lechleri is native to northwestern South America and is commonly known as sangre de drago in Ecuadorian Spanish. The name refers to the thick red latex of this tree and several related species. Croton lechleri is a South American tree unrelated to Dracaena and rattan palm.

The colour of dragon's blood resin is independent of pH, and its major constituents are themselves highly coloured. The extracts are red because of dracorubin. The resin also contains benzoic acid and tannin. Dragon's blood has been reported to contain dracoflavans B1, B2, C1, C2, D1 and D2, which are A-type deoxyproanthocyanidins. Red resins from Dracaena draco contain many mono- and dimeric flavans that contribute to their red colour. Dragon's blood from Dracaena draco and Dracaena cinnabari can be distinguished by differences in 10 compounds and a dominant flavonoid, DrC11, that is missing in Dracaena draco. The resin of Dracaena cinnabari mostly contains flavonoids. A dragon's blood extract from Daemonorops species or other botanical sources carries the FEMA number 2404. The compound 4'-demethyl-3,9-dihydroeucomine, derived from the resin of Daemonorops draco, masks bitter taste, which is of interest to the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries.

Resins of Dracaena species usually contain very few volatile terpenes. In an n-hexane extract of the pure resin of Dracaena cinnabari, GC-MS identified β-caryophyllene as the single volatile hydrocarbon component. β-Caryophyllene is a yellowish volatile liquid hydrocarbon, a bicyclic sesquiterpene. Headspace analysis did not identify β-caryophyllene in the resin but identified other volatile monoterpenes. Proanthocyanidins are the main constituent of the resin produced by Croton lechleri, making up more than 90% of its dry weight. The remaining 10% is largely the alkaloid taspine, with catechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin and low amounts of terpene compounds.

The reddish resinous products are used in folk medicine as an astringent and for wound healing, and in varnishes, for staining marble, for jewelry and enameling work and for photo-engraving. Socotrans use the resin ornamentally as well as for dyeing wool, gluing pottery, as a breath freshener and as lipstick. The latex of Croton lechleri is used by local peoples as a liquid bandage to seal wounds, because it dries quickly to form a protective skin-like barrier. Dragon's blood incense is occasionally sold as red rock opium, but it contains no opiates and has only slight psychoactive effects, if any at all. In acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests on female Sprague Dawley rats, a methanol extract of Dracaena cinnabari resin was tolerated up to 2,000 mg/kg body weight.

Few commodity dealers properly distinguish the various botanical origins of dragon's blood items, and over-exploitation is starting to threaten some sources. As of 2009, Dracaena cinnabari is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

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Related: Amberwood · Andiroba · Bakhoor · Balsamic Notes · Benzoin Resinoid · Benzyl Benzoate · Benzyl Salicylate · Birch Tar