Banaba

Banaba

Lagerstroemia speciosa
Lythraceae

Medium-sized tree that can reach a height of 30 m. The leaves are up to 20 cm long. The flowers are numerous, in clusters, showy and lilac purple. While the flowering period is long, each individual flower is short-lived The fruits are round, woody, about 3 cm in diameter. It is a native of China and South East Asia, including the Philippines where it is commonly planted as an ornamental.