Lagerstroemia speciose
LYTHRACEAE. Indigenous

SIZE: Up to 30m tall; trunk size 80cm diameter
TYPE: Deciduous
HABITAT: Forests and in comparative open, dry habitats

Banaba is well known for its attractive clusters of purple flower, its savory tea leaves that treat urinary tract ailments and diabetes and its beneficial bark that counters diarrhea and abdominal pains. If only for its explosion of violet blooms, banaba is the perfect roadside tree. Its root system is widespread and dense and should be popularize as a prime species for controlling erosion and for reforestation.