luffa.infoLuffa.info - Luffa/Loofah/Luffah/Loofa/Loufa/Luff Sponge Gourd Growing and Use Information

Find Loofahs and Seeds Grow_Luffa Harvesting_Luffa Blog Photos/Videos Flowers FAQ Luffa_Links About/Contact Welcome to Luffa.info. Here is information, photos and video about the amazing Luffa sponge gourd. What is a Loofah A loofah is a fibrous plant seed pod. 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 seed pod filled with many intertwined cellulose fibers. The outer skin is removed to reveal the "loofah" inside. Sea sponges are members of the animal kingdom. They grow on the sea floor and filter food out of the water. The word sponge is often used to describe loofah and man made "sponges" with absorbent properties like sea sponges. Luffa sponge gourds have many names, both common and scientific. They are known as loofah, smooth loofah, loofah sponge, loofa, luffa, loufa, loufah, luffah, sponge gourd, Chinese okra, elephant okra, dishrag gourd, towel gourd, and other common names in many different languages. The scientific name for the plant I grow is Luffa aegyptiaca. It may also be known as Luffa cylindrica. There are other cultivated fiber-producing species within the Luffa genus including Luffa acutangula and Luffa operculata. Angled luffa or ridged luffa are common names for acutangula. Luffa operculata is known as the ball luffa or sponge cucumber. Humans have propagated these cultivated plants across the tropical to temperate regions of the earth. Luffa fiber is a green renewable resource with many uses. I have been growing and enjoying natural homegrown luffa fiber since the 1990s here in Carter County Tennessee. I switched to organic growing methods in the 21st century. Uses for Luffa/Loofah Sponges When fully matured the fruits become a tough mass of fiber that makes a great scrubbing sponge. These natural cellulose fiber wonders of the vegetable world have many uses. They can exfoliate loose cells from your skin and make you squeaky clean or shine up your dirty dishes. Loofahs are most excellent in the bath or shower. The exfoliating action leaves your skin feeling the cleanest and tightest it could possibly be. Scrubbing your back with a luffa sponge in the bath or shower is an incredibly pleasurable experience. Soap and luffa fibers are a natural cleaning combination resulting in wonderful loofah soap. Home and professional artisan craft soap makers include slices of luffa fiber in their creations to add an extra cleaning boost to their soaps. A loofah section can be placed in a cylindrical mold, filled with soap, cured, and sliced. Shredded or powdered luffa fibers can also be mixed into a soap base before pouring into a mold. Luffa sponges are great for washing items like large pots and other containers. I use them for cleaning almost everything, including cars, boats, plastic buckets, and anything that needs scrubbed but can't withstand steel wool. Non stick cookware is one example. A large loofah or a smaller piece on a handle or rope makes a great back scratcher. They can be cut into many shapes for scrubbing pads, padding, and other craft uses. The loofahs can be cut lengthwise with the core removed to make sheets of sponge material. These sheets of luffa material can be sewn into items like table hot pads, sandals, bath mats, hats, or anything else you can imagine. A piece of loofah can be used to apply paint for artistic effect. It can also impart texture to painted walls or plaster. Place the long side into a paint pan with paint barely covering the bottom. Rub excess paint off the loofah on newspaper or cardboard. The best effect is achieved with the smallest amount of paint. Too much and it looks like a blob. Simply push on to the surface and lift straight off. The final result may resemble a wallpaper pattern. Luffa fiber is a green alternative to rock wool as a root medium in hydroponic plant growing systems. It is environmentally friendly and may be produced on site by the grower. The fibers work well to maintain proper moisture levels for seedling growth. It's another amazing luffa application that someone told me about. The luffa buds, flowers, and soft young fruits are cooked and eaten like squash or okra. I sometimes eat small luffa fruits when in season but disclaim any legal responsibility for any bad reactions anyone might have from consuming luffa. Eat at your own risk. Those with sensitivities to certain foods should proceed with caution. Unknown allergy potential. That said, millions of people around the world eat parts of the plant. Luffa has been an important food source in many cultures. The tough fibrous vines are not edible, but leaves and roots may be eaten by some people depending how bitter they are. Sap in the luffa vines and leaves contains a bitter compound with a musky smell that seems to repel insects and animals. It can have a bitterness similar to that sometimes found in cucumbers, a close plant relative also in the Cucurbitaceae family. The edible size fruits taste something like a cross between a zucchini and a cucumber. Some luffa varieties may produce fruits that are too bitter to eat. Peeling the skin off reduces bitterness but is not usually necessary. If it tastes bad, don't eat it. The many varieties we've grown have all tasted good to us, with some being better than others. Many commonly cultivated varieties are edible. Luffa of several different species are consumed by people around the world, especially in Asia and Africa. Edible luffa can sometimes be found in markets with Asian style vegetables. I like them sliced in a stir-fry or just sauteed in a little olive oil. Seasoning with a dash of soy sauce and cayenne pepper makes a tasty appetizer. The big yellow flowers have a crunchy green flavor similar to celery or cucumber. Luffa flowers make a colorful and unique salad. Luffa, like many plants, contains a variety of substances. Parts of the plant and seeds have been used for the medicinal properties. Powdered luffa fibers have been an ingredient in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. One Egyptian study found the seeds of luffa reduced blood glucose levels in animals. More medicinal references can be found on the links page. Large whole loofahs are a conversation starter. People tend to find them very interesting and useful. Some of the loofah sponges end up as gifts for family and friends. I sell the rest to an artisan soap maker. If you are looking for loofahs or seeds you can find them at the sources I have listed on the luffa sources page. Care and Maintenance of Luffa Sponges New unused luffa fiber can be stored for years if it is kept dry. It needs to be covered where dust won't settle on the surface. Working luffa sponges will last a surprisingly long time if they are allowed to dry between uses, usually a few months. When they stay wet all the time they tend to deteriorate more. Hanging on a hook or placing on end may help your loofah to dry. A luffa sponge can hold some dirt and should not be used for different purposes. If you scrub your cooking grill with it, then don't use it on your skin. It is probably difficult to fully sterilize a loofah. Enough heat applied long enough would do it but might damage the luffa fibers. A short soak in a mild bleach solution gets close, certainly killing off a vast majority of surface germs. A wash with antibacterial hand soap should quickly remove many germs too. The acidity of vinegar can clean out a lot of bacteria in a loofah. Sunlight can help keep your loofah in top shape by drying it faster and irradiating the surface with natural ultraviolet light. The drying UV rays will make it harder for germs, mold, or mildew to grow. Some commercial luffa sponges are a light color from being bleached. Natural mature sponges can be any shade of dark brown to bright white in color. Most loofahs are fine in their natural state without any bleaching. If you want to lighten luffa...