| Description | Sponge Gourd (Luffa aegyptiaca) is an annual vine grown for its cylindrical fruit. Fruit can be eaten when young and can be dried to use as a sponge. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Annuals, Vines, Edible Fruit |
| Hardiness Zone | 9 |
| Sunlight | full |
| Moisture | average |
| Soil & Site | average |
| Flowers | monoecious having male and female flowers on the same plant, male inflorescence is a raceme. female are individual flowers, yellow |
| Fruit | elongated, cylindrical, angled, can be eaten when young , dried to use as a sponge |
| Leaves | large, palmate |
| Stems | angled, climbing |
| Roots | fibrous |
| Dimensions | well over 6-8 feet |
| Maintenance | will need sturdy structures to climb on |
| Propagation | seeds |
| Native Site | India, Pakistan, Yemen |
| Misc Facts | Common names: Luffa, loofah, lufah, sponge gourd, Vietnamese luffa, Vietnamese gourd, dishrag gourd, rag gourd, vegetable-sponge, smooth luffa, Egyptian cucumber |
| Notes & Reference | #62-Manual of Climbers and Wall Plants (J K Burras, Mark Griffiths) |
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