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I live in Puerto Rico and I'm trying to identify this tree and if possible how to kill it since it is infested with termites.

https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TfN5.jpg

Tree

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Closer view of flowers and leaves. The rectangles on the floor are about 3mm x 6mm.

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Seed pod

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    $\begingroup$ Hi Rick. Please copy your images directly into your post. Linking to external photos is not appropriate for our site due to the propensity for such photos to later become unavailable. Posts should be complete in and of themselves. Edit your post to include these photos, update with some measurements, and please provide more specifics about location/habitat. We'll be happy to try to help at that point. (see here for more guidelines). Thanks. $\endgroup$
    – theforestecologist ♦
    Jan 11, 2021 at 22:42
  • $\begingroup$ Google lense I.D. Program works on nearly all european and north american trees, bark and flowers, and many tropical ones. try it... $\endgroup$
    – bandybabboon
    Jan 13, 2021 at 8:13
  • $\begingroup$ Google lense said either Saussurea obvallata or eucalyptus... I doubt it is. $\endgroup$
    – Rick
    Jan 14, 2021 at 7:36
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    $\begingroup$ @aliential I STRONGLY disagree with your statement about Google Lens, as it is, in my experience, patently false. From what level of botanical expertise are you coming from? The issue with such programs is that users are typically not equipped in any way to recognize/challenge the accuracy of results. I have only tested Lens out of curiosity for accuracy, and my personal take is that it is rarely accurate when it comes to IDing organisms (e.g., trees). Complicating this matter is that many species are no longer differentiated based on easily-identifiable gross morphological characteristics. $\endgroup$
    – theforestecologist ♦
    Jan 14, 2021 at 18:18
  • $\begingroup$ First discovery was a photo of a golden egg bug...100% ok was amazed. Second task was a split gill mushroom... 100%... then monkshood... 100% correct, and lense also manages various leaves and flowers, especially horticulture and unique patternings. I had very high accuracy for common and morphologically peculiar and specific photos. Yes it though this pages photos are a mantis... awful. But the images are blurred... i recommend trying lense on certain types of targets like flowers and fruits, it can be very worth the 10 seconds of time involved. Try lense on photo of g egg bug. $\endgroup$
    – bandybabboon
    Jan 14, 2021 at 21:04

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The photos of this tree indicate that it is a horseradish-tree (Moringa oleifera). See https://rngr.net/publications/common-trees-of-puerto-rico-and-the-virgin-islands as well as google searches of that species. Killing the tree will do nothing to eradicate the termites as they will just move onto another source of food.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for answering this question! We appreciate when new users with expert knowledge begin answering questions! Please update your post, however, to include more information about why your ID is correct. Given the propensity for external links to go defunct, we ask that your answer here can adequately stand on its own in explaining both the correct answer and your rationale. Support as a link is fine (and citing/linking sources is preferred/required), but please capture some of the relevant detail from your external source in your post itself. Thanks! $\endgroup$
    – theforestecologist ♦
    May 5, 2022 at 21:09

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