A little seed. A new beginning.
Seeds In A Cup®A LITTLE SEED. A NEW BEGINNING.

GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Loofah

Luffa aegyptiaca

Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.

THE PLANT NOTEBOOK

Loofah care, from seed onward.

Botanical name
Luffa aegyptiaca
Common names
Sponge Gourd, Egyptian Luffa
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Luffa
Species
L. aegyptiaca
01

Start growing

Requires a long season and sturdy trellis. Soak seeds 24 hours before sowing.

02

Growing with your kit

The Seeds In A Cup® greenhouse lid is vital for the high-heat germination these tropical seeds need.

03

Propagation

By seed.

04

Seasonal growth & harvest

150-200 days for mature sponges; 45-60 days for eating.

05

Growing conditions

Humid riverbanks and tropical garden zones.

06

Weather & tolerances

Zero frost tolerance; loves intense heat.

07

Pests & plant health

Cucumber beetles and powdery mildew.

08

Plant safety

Safe for consumption and external use.

09

Botanical features

Vigorous vine with yellow flowers. Young fruit is edible; mature fruit contains a fibrous skeleton.

10

Varieties

‘Smooth Loofah’, ‘Angled Loofah’.

11

Garden & everyday uses

Edible like zucchini when young. natural exfoliation sponge when mature

12

Native range & distribution

Tropical regions of Asia and Africa.

13

Conservation

Secure.

14

Name origins

From the Arabic ‘luf’, the local name for the plant.

15

History

Used for millennia in Asia/Africa; major industrial sponge crop globally until the 1940s.

Grow loofah in a cup.