Luffa aegyptiaca, Edible Shower sponge, This is the one we all had to scrub our backs within the '70s, but would never admit we used, and always assumed it was a sea sponge. It's actually a vegetable related to the cucumber & grown on a fence or trellis (it doesn’t come from the sea). Grows 1-2 ft long & if eaten, best when 2 ins dia. Vines produce yellow flowers all summer, then fruits are picked after the first frosts. Peel off the outer skin, “milk” the sponge - squeeze it from the middle outwards to remove the fleshy substance inside, Hang & Dry, use like a body scrub (Not Hardy), Seed Count Approx - 5 avg SOWING - Gourds will not germinate in cold soil & need a warm position. Planting should be delayed until the soil has warmed, So start in the greenhouse early spring, Pick when ripe in Autumn when stem dries