Luffa Angled Seeds

Luffa acutangula

Angled Luffa is a vigorous tropical vine producing distinctive elongated green fruits with prominent ridges running from end to end. Also known as Chinese Okra, Ridged Luffa, Okra Cee Gwa and Okra Vine, it is closely related to the smooth Luffa but is particularly valued as an edible vegetable.

Harvest the fruits young while the skin and flesh are still tender. They have a mild, slightly sweet flavour and can be cooked much like zucchini, making them excellent stir-fried, steamed or added to soups, stews and curries. As the fruits mature, the ridges become tougher and the interior increasingly fibrous.

More than just the fruit is edible. Tender stem tips, young leaves and flowers can all be harvested and cooked as green vegetables, particularly steamed or added to soups and stir-fries. The mature seeds are also edible and can be roasted and salted much like pepitas.

Angled Luffa has a long history as a vegetable throughout South and Southeast Asia and southern China, where its ability to thrive through hot, humid weather makes it an important warm-season crop. The vigorous vines can be a useful alternative to zucchini in climates where fungal diseases make summer squash difficult to grow.

If fruits are left to mature completely, the flesh develops the characteristic fibrous network of a luffa and can also be dried and used as a natural scrubber, although Luffa acutangula is primarily grown for eating.

Seed count: approximately 5 seeds/g
Approximately 10 seeds per packet

When to Plant (Australia)

Tropics: Spring to summer; extended season in warm frost-free areas
Subtropics: Spring to early summer
Mild climates: Spring after frost
Cold climates: Start indoors in spring and transplant after all danger of frost

Planting / Sowing

Soak seeds in water overnight before sowing to encourage germination. Sow directly into warm soil approximately 15–20 mm deep after all danger of frost has passed. In cooler districts, plants can be started indoors to extend the growing season.

Space plants approximately 60–100 cm apart in full sun with fertile, well-drained soil. Provide a strong trellis, fence or arbour to support the vigorous climbing vines and allow the long fruits to hang freely.

Keep plants consistently watered during vigorous growth, flowering and fruit development. Regular harvesting encourages continued production.

Pick fruits young while they remain tender for the best eating quality. Older fruits become increasingly fibrous. Tender shoots, leaves and flowers can also be harvested throughout the growing season.

Due to quarantine restrictions, TAS has an 800g limit per each seed variety and WA has a 10,000 seeds limit per variety.