Who knew?
In case you are not at all familiar with loofas, they look like tubes of shredded wheat and are often sold as bath sponges right next to the nylon poofy things.
Pretty much everyone we told this year that we were growing loofas, said, “Mmm…and I always thought they came from the sea.” I guess people (including me) grouped them with those sea sponges you use to provide hydration to hermit crabs.
But, in fact, loofas are in the squash family. They grow on a vine like cucumbers and look like zuccini until they dry out to look like this.
You peel away the skin,
shake out the seeds,
and POOF…a LOOFA (or LUFFA or LOUFA)!
According to Luffa.info, there are almost endless uses for them. Only two of about a dozen of ours have dried but we’re super excited to “harvest” the rest and use them or gift them. Wouldn’t it be fun to be gifted a homegrown luffa?
You are crazy and my gardening idol!
That is so cool! I never even though about what they were. I guess I just assumed they were man made. I want to grow some!