Description

Luffa is a tropical climbing vine in the cucurbit family that is typically used as a sponge. This gourd grows like a champ right through a South Florida summer. It is extremely productive, and one vine is more than enough to supply a family with a whole year worth of sponges! Younger luffas are softer and can be used for exfoliating the skin. Fully mature luffas make great cleaning sponges that are perfect for scrubbing dishes or the tub. At Our Tropical Soil we have replaced all of our cleaning sponges with luffas! The vines can grow up to 30 feet in length, so be sure to provide them with plenty of trellis space.

Luffas are not tolerant to frost and a long season is needed to grow them to full maturity. Be sure to start them early if you live somewhere that experiences frost, but in warmer climates you can grow them all year long. There are two common luffa species: Luffa aegyptiaca (also called Luffa cylindrica) and Luffa acutangula.  They are commonly referred to as Smooth Luffa (for L. aegyptiaca) and Angled Luffa for (L. acutangula). 

Both species are edible when the fruit is young and tender. However, Angled Luffa is the species that is typically grown for eating, while the Smooth Luffa is typically grown for sponge production. Older fruits and some varieties of the Smooth Luffa contain a poisonous substance in the fruit that cause it to taste bitter. Any fruit that tastes bitter should not be eaten. It is best to use Angled Luffa species for eating because it is primarily cultivated for food production. The seeds you will receive are for the Smooth Luffa, which are primarily grown used for sponge production.

Luffas seeds typically have low germination rates so it is best to plant more than you need. When sowing your seeds you can also soak them in water before planting to increase the germination rate.