Pride of India (Bongor biru)

Lagerstroemia speciosa

Description

Lagerstroemia speciosa is a small tree growing up to 30 m tall. It has leathery simple ovate to oblong leaves. Young leaves emerge glossy red, turning to pinkish and then finally green. Flowers grow in erect panicles with a bright pink-purple color. The tree flowers twice a year, one time in April-June and another time in July-August. When flowering, the tree looks all purple making it spectacular (hence its name “speciosa” that means “spectacular” in latin).

Place of origin

South East Asia

Ethnobotanical uses

The wood is used in medium-heavy construction, such as for bridges, wharves, boats, mine struts and railway sleepers due to its hardness and termite-resistant property. The bark is used to treat diarrhea and abdominal. The leaves and dried fruits are traditionally made into herbal tea to treat high blood pressure and diabetes. The plant extracts are available as health supplements, effective for blood sugar control and weight loss. Modern medical research shows that leaf extracts have hypoglycemic (glucose-lowering) effects suggesting the plant’s potential use as anti-diabetic medication.

IUCN conservation status

Least Concern (LC)