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Luffa
Also called Loofahs, Luffas, Vegetable Sponge
Luffa is a genus of tropical and subtropical climbing vines in the gourd family, with the species Luffa aegyptiaca and Luffa acutangula most commonly grown. Young fruits are eaten as a vegetable, and fully ripened fruits become fibrous and are used as scrubbing sponges.
Luffa ( LOO-fə) is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the pumpkin, squash and gourd family (Cucurbitaceae).
In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah or less frequently loofa, usually refers to the fruits of the species Luffa aegyptiaca and Luffa acutangula. It is cultivated and eaten as a vegetable, but must be harvested at a young stage of development to be edible. The vegetable is popular in Pakistan, India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam. When the fruit fully ripens, it becomes too fibrous for eating. The fully developed fruit is the source of the loofah scrubbing sponge. In October 2025, the world record for the heaviest luffa was broken at the North Carolina State Fair. The luffa, grown in Graham, NC weighed 11 lb 3.3 oz (5.08 kg).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Luffa by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
