Banaba is a variety of Crape myrtle that grows in Asia, from India to Malaysia. Crape or “Crepe” myrtle is named after the crepe paper- like flowers. They are not only a popular flowering tree grown in the U.S., but also an interesting herb.

It’s leaves are commonly used to make herbal teas to treat diabetes. It is also useful in weight loss. Guava leaves are another plant used to make herbal teas for weight loss.

You can easily make your own tea with the leaves.  It’s probably best to grow your own tree and get the variety Lagerstroemia indica.   Photo from Top Tropicals.  They have many colorful blooms, ranging from bright pink, white, to purple.

In our part of northern California, these crepe myrtles are used mainly as landscape trees.  They seem to bloom all year long and are very healthy looking trees too.

This is crape myrtle growing in a North Carolina garden.  Lovely photo from Nye Noona.

In 2005, researchers wrote in Diabetic Health that the active ingredients include corsolic acid and tannins, including lagerstroemin are thought to stimulate glucose uptake and have insulin-like activity. The reason banaba leaves is good for type 2 diabetics is that the hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effect of banaba leaf extract is similar to that of insulin, which induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells.

So far, no adverse effects have been reported with the use of banaba leaves and extract. Wellnes.com has a list of names that refer to Banaba in different countries: in the U.S. it’s also refer to as crape myrtle, bang-lang (Cambobia), bungor (Malaya, Sabah), intanin (Thailand), jarul (India), Munchausia speciosa, Pride-of-India, pyinma, Queen’s crape myrtle, Queens flower.