Avant Gourd

GROWING LUFFA GOURDS PAYS OFF IN GARDENS AND AT MARKET.

- ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY SUSAN M. BRACKNEY

The ultra-exfoliating loofah sponge might be a staple in countless bathrooms, but a surprising number of people don't know where this natural scrubber really comes from. The most common misconception is that loofahs are products of the ocean. Actually, they're the dried, fibrous innards of the gourd species Luffa acutangula and Luffa aegyptiaca. Thought to be native to India, these members of the Cucurbitaceae family are relatively simple crops to grow for yourself and to sell at market.

A LITTLE LUFFA HISTORY

Luffa gourds aren't exactly new to the U.S. By the late 1800s, they had found their way into seed publications such as the Catalogue of Rare Florida Flowers and Fruits: For the season of 1890 from Jessamine Gardens. Advertised there as "Vegetable Sponge or Poor Man's Dish Rag," Luffa acutangula is described as "one of the most unique and remarkable novelties ever introduced."

Selling the seeds for 5 cents per packet, the purveyors gushed: "When ripe, the skin easily peels off, revealing the inside, a beautiful network of interwoven fibers, a veritable vegetable sponge, and for scouring purposes rivaling the famous 'iron dish cloths.' Large quantities of them are imported from the tropics and offered for sale in the drug stores, under the name of Loofah, being considered an indispensable adjunct to every well-regulated bathroom."

Ongoing Care

Inspecting your luffa plants for signs of insect invaders such as aphids, cucumber beetles and squash bugs is as important as regular watering, especially as younger plants are becoming established. That means examining the undersides of leaves for bad actors and their eggs and removing them before their populations can grow.