Luffa acutangula
Luffa acutangula
Safety & Hazards
Some forms of this plant can be very bitter, and are then somewhat toxic[1].
Cultivation Details
A plant of the lowland tropics, where it can be grown at elevations up to 500 metres[2, 3]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 32°c, but can tolerate 15 - 38°c[3]. It is intolerant of frost[1]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,200 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 700 - 3,000mm[3]. In humid areas growth is directed towards the production of leaf biomass, whereas under dry conditions the energy is directed towards abundant flowering and, hence, more abundant fruiting[1]. Too much heavy rainfall during flowering and fruiting leads to fruit rot[1]. In seasonal climates, dry-season planting is more successful than wet-season planting[3]. Grows best in a sunny position[3]. Plants succeed in poor soils, but fruit best in soils of moderate fertility[4]. Plants are most productive when grown in well-drained soils with a high content of organic matter[1, 2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[3]. Plants can produce their first crop of immature fruits for food within 2 months from seed[4]. When harvesting for food, young, immature fruits weighing from 300 - 400g each are picked 12 - 15 days after fruit set[1]. The fruits can be picked every 3 days throughout the fruiting season, by hand or with a knife. Individual plants may produce 15 - 20 fruits, with the yield declining after 8 - 13 weeks of harvesting[1]. Total yields for food of 10 - 15 tonnes per hectare are average, with some hybrid forms producing up to 27 tonnes[1]. For sponge production, the fruits are left for two months on the vines till turning brown[1]. For seed production, the seeds are shaken out of the completely dry fruits[1]. There are some named varieties[2, 5].
Propagation
Seed - pre-soak in cold water overnight to soften the hard seedcoat, and so the seed in situ or in containers[1, 2]. When sowing in containers, place 2 - 3 seeds in each container, thinning to the best plant once they have germinated. Seedlings usually emerge 4 - 7 days after sowing[1]. Keep the plants growing quickly and plant out once they are 15cm or more tall. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Luffa+acutangula>
Pollinators
Bees, Butterflies, Moths, Insects
References
- [1]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
- [2]Vegetables in the Tropics — Tindall. H. D. · MacMillan, Oxford. · 1983 · ISBN 0-333-24268-8 ↩︎An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
- [3]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
- [4]Tropical Food Gardens — Norrington. L. · Bloomings Books (Melbourne) · 2001 · ISBN 1-876473-41-x ↩︎Excellent little book giving some basic information on a range of plants.
- [5]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
- [6]Plants and People of Nepal — Manandhar. N. P. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 2002 · ISBN 0-88192-527-6 ↩︎Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.
- [7]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.