Loofah Sponge; Getting To Know The Loofah Plants
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Growing Loofah Sponge Plants
Hello and welcome! This section of “Growing Loofah Sponge Plants” focuses on which support systems to use, how to identify male and female flowers, and what exactly a loofah gourd looks like.
If interested on learning about the first steps of growing a loofah plant from seed you can get detailed instructions here.
When growing loofah plants be sure to use a sturdy structure for the vine to grow on.
Sturdy Structures
The loofah plant is a quick growing vine that needs lots of space and a sturdy structure to hold the fruit otherwise known as gourds.
Loofah plants grow successfully on a sturdy trellis like wood, wrought iron or resin. They can even grow on a fence top as long as it is sturdy.
Some trellises can be a bit pricey so I suggest to shop around at your local garden shops or check out the different types of trellises here.
The best time to purchase a trellis is at the end of the season when they go on sale. If you can get a good sturdy trellis for $200 or less that is a steal!
I planted six loofah sponge plants outdoors May 5, 2019. Three on each inner side of the above trellis. Unfortunately, only two of the six plants survived.
In July the two plants started climbing up the trellis and by September it covered the trellis completely.
I also planted a loofah plant near the fence. Now mind you, this is only one plant on the fence and it was beautiful. A fence makes a beautiful wall of foliage and flowers.
Loofah Flowers
Loofah plants will have tons of flowers on them but only the female flower will produce the gourds.
The flowers will generally open early in the morning and close at night.
Watching the progress of loofah plants grow is fascinating and rewarding.
I love seeing a cluster of buds like this photo below. Note: clusters of buds only produce male flowers.
Not all clusters bloom at the same time but when they do it is a beautiful sight.
Loofah flowers are often visited by a variety of bees and other insects!
No need to be afraid of the insects that are around the flowers. Actually, having flying insects around the loofah flowers is a good thing as they are pollinating the flowers.
My best advise is to leave these little critters alone and let them do their thing.
How To Determine Male and Female Flowers of Loofah Plants
Although the loofah plant is beautiful while in bloom not all flowers produce gourds.
Male Loofah Flowers
The male flowers only have stamens whereas the female flower will have the stigma and ovule.
The loofah plant produces more male flowers than female flowers. Way more!
The photo below is that of a male loofah flower.
The male flowers are very important to have in your garden. All flowers produce a sweet nectar that attracts bees.
The bees visit the male flowers to drink the nectar, and the pollen sticks to their hairy body and legs.
Female Loofah Flowers
This is how the unfertilized loofah female flower looks before blooming.
As the flower opens it is ready to be fertilized.
If the flower is not fertilized the loofah gourd will die. If it is fertilized it will continue to grow.
Below is a photo of the beginning of a gourd with a female flower at the end that has been fertilized.
Finding the beginning of a gourd is very exciting for any gardener!
The photo below is that of a female loofah flower.
As the bee carrying pollen moves from a male flower to a female flower the pollen falls off onto the stigma thus fertilizing that female flower which in turn produces a gourd.
Loofah Foliage
Some loofah foliage can get very large.
Inspecting Loofah Plants
It is always fun to inspect loofah plants. No telling what you may find!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN LEARNING THE LOOFAH PLANTS ANATOMY. I HOPE MY JOURNEY IN GROWING LOOFAH SPONGES HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO YOU.
To learn the beginning of growing loofah plants from seed please click on the photo below.
HOW TO ORDER LOOFAH PLANT SEEDS
May I interest you in some of my recipes? Click here!https://jettskitchen.com/recipes/
7 Comments
Kathryn
Great tutorial and pics !!! However, how do you use them ? I always think they seem so scratchy ?? Any useage tips ??
admin
Kathryn: You’re right the sponges are kinda scratchy feeling. Although, I don’t think they are a scratchy as the ones purchased in the stores. Loofah sponges can be used to exfoliate skin on your face or body or used in the kitchen to clean dishes. Some crafters are making soaps with loofah sponges embedded in the soap. Use the natural sponge as you would any scrub.
Lisa
Hi, thank you for the great article! Will loofah sponge plants grow back every year once they’re established, or do I have to plant them every year? Thank you again. Happy gardening!
Jett
Hi Lisa: Loofah plants are an annual therefore you will need to replant them every year.
Betty
Do you have recipes for using the flowers as food?
Jett
Hi Betty: I have yet to make anything with the flowers. Not sure if they could be treated like any other squash flowers. I’ll have to give it a try next year.
Kathy Moody
Your web page was such a help. I didn’t know the male from the female. Thank you so much for your information. Will now go out and check the flowers.