Luffa Gourd

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Luffa Cylindrica

Luffas (also spelled loofah or loofa) are a delightful and easy vegetable to grow in the garden. A vining plant, they can grow to 30’ long, and will quickly cover a trellis and produce a multitude of large gourds.

Last year, I planted luffas by a cattle panel arch. By the end of summer, the lush, green vines had covered the arch as well as the corner of the brick house next door! The gourds hung down thru the arch and made an eye-catching display.

Luffas can take 200 days to mature, so plant them as soon as the weather gets reliably warm. Give them a tall, sturdy structure to climb, and full sun.

Luffas are in the same family as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and other gourds. When small (less than 7 inches long), they are edible and can be sliced up in salads or cooked like squash or okra. Or let them dry for home-grown natural sponges.

To dry luffas as natural sponges, either leave them on the vine to mature and dry, or cut them off when they’re about 2’ long. Let them dry until they turn from dark green to brown, and feel light and dry. Remove the tough outer skin; soak it for a day to loosen the skin, or just shatter the dry, crispy membrane and peel it off.