Growing luffa sponge plants is an interesting experience. Ours grow in an atrium in the center of our house, which is about 10 degrees warmer than the cool outside air. Plants that would struggle in our foggy backyard do remarkably well in the atrium, and luffas are one type that do. The only thing missing in the atrium are pollinators like bees. So it falls on me to do the pollination.

Luffa produce two types of flowers, male and female. Male flowers are quite abundant and several open every day. But female flowers are not quite as abundant, and they only open for 24 hours. That means I need to look every morning. I use a fine sable hair brush to collect the pollen from male flowers and then transfer the pollen to the female.

It’s actually a rewarding task. It’s quite meditative. It is a ritual that has me slow down and connect to nature. It also is a delight to see the sponges grow over time. Luffas have some of the longest harvest times, 4 months or more, so it does require patience.