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The vines grow quickly and usually flower within 45 to 60 days. The male flowers usually appear before the female blooms. Luffa-producing flowers will have small fruit visible behind the blooms.

For a summer gardening project and a sustainable swap, Luffa fruits can be grown to be used in place of synthetic sponges.

According to Janice Cox, author of “Beautiful Luffa,” growing these vegetable plants, which are cousins to squashes, pumpkins and cucumbers, is easy.

Finding Luffa Seed Your local nursery or garden center may carry luffa seeds, or you can order them online from places like Amazon, Burpee, or the Sustainable Seed Company.

Once the luffa is fully dried, it’s time to harvest—a process that’s done year-round at the farm but which takes place primarily in the fall. “In the end, all that’s left are the dried fibers, seeds ...

Plant in warm environments The loofah plant grows similarly to summer squash, requiring anywhere from 150 to 200 consecutive warm days to grow and ripen.

But most people grow luffa because it creates a natural sponge. This vine will grow 120 days, and after 120 days, you can harvest the fruit.

Dried loofah seeds resemble those of watermelon and squash, since botanically all are members of the vine-crop plant family, Cucurbitaceae.