What Is Banaba Leaf?

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Banaba bushes are woody plants with sturdy, mottled bark that sheds in patches throughout the year. The leaves are simple in form, and range from 3 to 10 inches long. The full, bushy plants can grow to exceed 400 feet tall, although most are small to medium in height. Specimens in cooler locations produce beautiful red and bronze foliage in the fall.

Lovely dense bloom clusters appear in the summer and in the fall. They boast crinkled flowers similar in texture to crepe paper. Bloom colors are variable and include shades of red, white, lavender and deep purple.

Function

Wooden furniture and bridges have occasionally been fashioned from the timbers of larger Banaba bushes. Some parts of the Banaba plant are an important food source for the larvae of several species of butterly. In the warmer regions of the United States and Europe, the showy Banaba bush is a favored ornamental specimen, both residential and commercial.

Geography

Although native only to India, the Philippines, Australia and East Asia, the Banaba bush has been introduced and subsequently become well established in warm climates worldwide. Common in Italy, southern France and the Iberian peninsula, the plant is also prevalent anywhere south of Zone 6 in the United States. Banaba thrives particularly well in milder climates that are not high in humidity, such as in Texas and southeastern California. In the United States, the Banaba bush is also known as the Giant Crape Myrtle, Cuddle Tree and Queen Crape Myrtle.

History

Linnaeus, a Swedish physician, zoologist and botanist, is considered one of the founders of ecology as we know it today. He is also responsible for setting into place the permanent foundations for binomial nomenclature, or the system of giving living organisms two names--as in Lagerstroemia speciosa, which is what he named the Banaba plant.

Warning

The information presented is not to be construed as medical advice, and is intended only for educational use. Banaba products have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It is highly advised that anyone considering using Banaba or any other supplements seek the advice of their personal physician.

Diabetic individuals who take hypoglycemic medications such as insulin, chlorpropamide, glyburide or phenformin should not use Banaba without medical supervision. The substance may enhance the performance of these medications, leading to severe acute hypoglycema.

Hypoglycemic individuals should never take Banaba, which may cause or worsen the dangerous condition.

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