Chang Si Gua Early Luffa (Certified Organic)

Grown by Twin Oaks Seed Farm (VA) – 70 days (for eating) – Luffa aegyptiaca

A very early, smooth variety intended for eating rather than sponge use. The first fruits are ready to eat about 70 days after planting, more than a month earlier than the common sponge varieties. They continue setting very prolifically until frost. Delicious stir fried with garlic and ginger, and with eggs or meat if desired. They’re fairly sweet and the small ones make a good snack in the field. Pick when 7-13 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. The fruit are curved when grown on the ground but probably will grow straight on a trellis.  Plants are impervious to disease and pests, much more so than any other cucurbit. Chang Si Gua does not tend to make the best sponges, but there is variation in this regard and some of them are good quality. We got this variety from the USDA seed bank (PI 489755) – it appears to have been a gift from the Chinese Academy of Forestry (Beijing) to the U.S. delegation during Ronald Reagan’s 1984 visit to China. Chang Si Gua was the earliest in our 2024 trial of 15 varieties. 8 seeds/gram.