Abstract
L. speciosa is a tree species widely commercial for ornamental purposes and as roadside trees. This species is very appreciated in the horticulture market for its large, showy, bright pink to lavender flowers (Gilman and Watson, 1993; Randall, 2012, USDA-ARS, 2017). It is often planted in gardens, yards and parks, around parking lots, and along highways (Gilman and Watson, 1993 Orwa et al., 2009). L. speciosa has escaped from cultivation and now it can be found naturalized in waste places, disturbed sites, open grasslands, and along roadsides in a great variety of climates (Orwa et al., 2009). It has a wide spreading crown and a dense root system with the potential to alter soil conditions and inhibit the establishment of native vegetation in the understory. Currently it is listed as invasive in Belize, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Balick et al., 2000; Chacón and Saborío, 2012; Rojas-Sandoval and Acevedo-Rodríguez, 2015).
Lagerstroemia speciosa (Pride of India).