Description
The sponge gourd from its scientific name Luffa aegyptiaca is a climbing plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, that of cucumbers. It is also called loofah, Egyptian cucumber or Vietnamese luffa. This squash is commonly found in the subtropical and temperate zone of the globe. The sponge gourd would be native to South Asia and more particularly India.
Its introduction in Martinique and the Antilles remains unknown. It would not be surprising if she arrived with Indian workers at the end of slavery in the second half of the 19th century.
The loofah, an annual climbing or trailing herbaceous species that can reach 15 meters in height. Its fruit is a 15 to 20 cm cylindrical hanging berry, green in color, with smooth skin that can absorb up to 20 times its weight in water.
The flowers are monoecious, produced in the axils of the leaves and consist of five petals of a conspicuous yellow color, 5 to 10 cm in diameter, united below in a bell-shaped corolla, open in the early morning. Staminate flowers are produced in clusters of 4 to 20 units and contain five free stamens.
The leaves are alternate, large, oval and dark green and can reach 27 cm. The seeds are numerous, elliptical-ovoid, between 10-12 mm long and 6-8 mm wide.
Therapeutic virtues
Loofah is an astringent and pain reliever herb that controls bleeding, promotes healing, improves circulation and flow of milk for breastfeeding women. It acts mainly on the lungs, liver and stomach.
The fruits are used internally in the treatment of rheumatism, chest pain, back pain, orchitis, hemorrhoids, internal bleeding and insufficient lactation.
Externally, it is applied to shingles and boils.
Loofah is very beneficial for the skin. Indeed, it is used for the exfoliation of dead skin but also to erase the end of season tan when it has yellowed and it makes the skin dull. Thanks to the loofah, the blood circulation is reactivated and the skin gets rid of dead skin and is toned. The skin thus regains comfort and elasticity and cosmetic products penetrate better, bringing their deep benefits. The skin breathes and gains energy.
Dried fruits are used as abrasive sponges in skin care to remove dead skin and stimulate peripheral circulation.
How to grow it
Sponge gourd is a fast growing vine well suited to tropical areas or summer conditions of a temperate climate where it will take 4 months or more to grow. Ideally, the optimum temperatures are between 23 and 27°C but it can tolerate between 10 and 38°C maximum. It is sensitive to frost.
Regarding rainfall, the loofah needs an average of between 1200 and 2000 mm, but tolerates between 300 and 3000 mm. Yields may be reduced in areas with heavy rainfall, as well as if it has to contend with excessive rainfall during flowering or fruiting. It prefers a position in full sun.
It can grow on a wide range of soils but does best on medium textured organic soils such as deep, well-drained sandy loams.
Plants can produce their first crop of immature fruit within 2 months of sowing. Ripe fruits take 3 to 4 months to ripen.