Grow your own bath sponge! Luffa gourds are the familiar bath sponge. Growing your own will keep you entertained all growing season and are great fun for a long time after they are harvested. Peel ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. You’ve probably had or used a loofah sponge in your life, whether in the bath or for cleaning around the house. But did you know ...

I was introduced to the Luffa gourd while living in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, where it grows on every telephone pole in the province. Guanacaste has a dry tropical forest ecosystem with at least six ...

Luffa (Luffa aegyptiaca), or loofah, is an annual vine known for its ability to produce natural sponges. As a member of the cucumber family, it features fast-growing vines that can reach up to 30 feet ...

MCCANDLESS, Pa. — To most Americans, a luffa is a sponge. But to Wei Fei Chen, it’s a wonder gourd that’s fun to grow and good to eat. “You can saute or steam it with tofu, shrimp, chicken. Sometimes ...

There’s a remarkable vine that can provide you with a shady trellis, showy flowers, tasty fruit, and perfect bath sponges … and can be grown as a cash crop to boot! The plant–which is a native of the ...

Shaped like an oversized apple, these hard-shelled gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) grow six to eight inches tall and four to six inches across. In India, young fruit is added to curries. The skin is ...

QUESTION: I'm trying to grow luffa gourds for the sponges, but the flowers keep falling off without making fruit. -- W. H. ANSWER: Luffa vines (Luffa aegyptiaca) are generally reliable about producing ...

Every year, the Art in the Park show in Julia Davis Park has some vendors selling large gourds, beautifully decorated as if they were clay pots. Some of us try to grow our own gourds, but find the ...