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Luffa aegyptiaca
Also called Smooth Luffa, Dishrag Gourd, Loofah, Rag Gourd, Smooth Loofah, Vegetable Sponge, Loofah, Plant Sponge
Luffa aegyptiaca is an annual climbing vine grown for its cucumber-shaped fruit, which dries into the fibrous loofah sponge used for cleaning and bathing. It needs a long warm season, strong sun, and a trellis to climb.
Luffa aegyptiaca, the sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa, is an annual species of vine cultivated for its fruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.
Luffa has been cultivated throughout Asia for centuries for use as a household cleaning agent and is now, due to the gently abrasive quality of the natural fibers, a popular exfoliating agent in the eco-friendly cosmetic industry. Owing to its striking yellow flowers, the plant is occasionally grown as an ornamental.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Luffa aegyptiaca 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.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
