What is a Loofah?
Loofah is a climbing vine related to gourds and cucumbers, and sometimes called the “dishrag vine,” a reference to the sponge-like qualities of the dried fruit. Six species are in the Luffa genus, and they are widely cultivated for food and sponge uses. The loofah is the only plant source of sponge, and it has been used in bathhouses and kitchens for centuries. Traditionally cultivated in India and the Middle East, where the name originates, loofah is also grown in other warm, dry regions. In appearance, a loofah looks like a cucumber. The attractive trailing vines of the plant will take over any available surface, yielding drooping green fruit in the summer. Loofah vines are often used to cover decaying fences or as privacy foliage, because they are dense and fast growing. Loofah prefers warm, dry climates, and is very sensitive to frost, generally not thriving outside of USDA Zone 10 unless gardeners sprout indoors and keep a close eye on their young loofah plants. The plants need to
A loofah sponge as it is commonly known, is actually a plant seed pod. Sponges from the sea are animals. The word sponge has come to represent any items in commerce with the properties of sea sponges, like loofah and man-made sponges. The luffa plant is a cucurbit, a group of plants including gourds, pumpkins, and cucumbers. It grows as a flowering annual vine. The pollinated flowers grow cylindrical green fruits that eventually develop into a fibrous seed pod.
