Luffa

The young fruit is eaten as a vegetable and is commonly grown for that purpose in tropical Asia. The young shoots, flowers and leaves can be cooked, and the mature seeds can be roasted for consumption.

The fully ripened fruit is strongly fibrous and inedible, and is used to make scrubbing bath sponges.

Plant in warm soil temperatures and transplants to increase the germination rate and extend the growing season. It is best grown with a trellis support.