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Abelmoschus esculentus - (L.)Moench.

Okra

Author	(L.)Moench.	Botanical references	200
Family	Malvaceae	Genus	Abelmoschus
Synonyms	Hibiscus esculentus - L.
Known Hazards	The hairs on the seed pods can be an irritant to some people and gloves should be worn when harvesting. These hairs can be easily removed by washing[200].
Range	The original habitat is obscure.
Habitat	Not known in a truly wild situation.
Edibility Rating	4 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 1m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit; Leaves; Root; Seed.

Edible Uses: Coffee; Oil; Pectin.

Immature fruit - cooked on their own or added to soups etc[2, 27]. They can be used fresh or dried[183]. Mucilaginous[133], they are commonly used as a thickening for soups, stews and sauces[183]. The fruits are rich in pectin and are also a fair source of iron and calcium[240]. The fresh fruits contain 740 iu vitamin A[240]. The fruit should be harvested whilst young, older fruits soon become fibrous[133]. The fruit can be up to 20cm long[200]. Seed - cooked or ground into a meal and used in making bread or made into 'tofu' or 'tempeh'[183]. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[2, 27, 133]. Probably the best of the coffee substitutes[74]. The seed contains up to 22% of an edible oil[55, 74, 177, 183, 240]. The leaves, flower buds, flowers and calyces can be eaten cooked as greens[183]. The leaves can be dried, crushed into a powder and stored for later use[183]. They are also used as a flavouring[133]. Root - it is edible but very fibrous[144]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[144].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antispasmodic; Demulcent; Diaphoretic; Diuretic; Emollient; Stimulant; Vulnerary.

The roots are very rich in mucilage, having a strongly demulcent action[4, 21]. They are said by some to be better than marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis)[4]. This mucilage can be used as a plasma replacement[240]. An infusion of the roots is used in the treatment of syphilis[240]. The juice of the roots is used externally in Nepal to treat cuts, wounds and boils[272]. The leaves furnish an emollient poultice[4, 21, 240]. A decoction of the immature capsules is demulcent, diuretic and emollient[240]. It is used in the treatment of catarrhal infections, ardor urinae, dysuria and gonorrhoea[240]. The seeds are antispasmodic, cordial and stimulant[240]. An infusion of the roasted seeds has sudorific properties[240].

Other Uses

Fibre; Paper; Size.

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a substitute for jute[57, 61, 74, 169]. It is also used in making paper and textiles[171]. The fibres are about 2.4mm long[189]. When used for paper the stems are harvested in late summer or autumn after the edible seedpods have been harvested, the leaves are removed and the stems are steamed until the fibres can be stripped off. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then put in a ball mill for 3 hours. The paper is cream coloured[189]. A decoction of the root or of the seeds is used as a size for paper[178].

Cultivation details

Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in full sun and a pH around 6 to 6.7[200] but it tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH from 5.5 to 8[200]. It prefers a soil with a high potash content[264]. The plant requires a warm sunny position sheltered from winds[200]. It likes plenty of moisture, both in the soil and in the atmosphere[133]. Okra is commonly cultivated in warm temperate and tropical areas for its edible seedpod, there are many named varieties[183, 200]. Most cultivars require about 4 months from sowing before a crop is produced, though some early maturing varieties can produce a crop in 50 days in the tropics[264]. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it sometimes succeeds outdoors in hot summers but is really best grown in a greenhouse since it prefers daytime temperatures of 25°c or more[260]. Plants also dislike low night temperatures[133]. There are some early-maturing varieties that are more tolerant of cooler temperate conditions and these could be tried outdoors[200]. These include 'Clemson's Spineless', 'Emerald Spineless', 'Long Green' and 'Green Velvet'[200]. The flowers are much visited by bees but they may require syringing in order to improve fertilization when plants are grown in a greenhouse. Plants resent being transplanted[133].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse. The seed germinates in 27 days at 15°c or 6 days at 35°c[133]. When large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and plant them out after the last expected frosts[200].

Cultivars

'Annie Oakley'

The slender, five-angled pods are light green in colour and 18 - 22cm long[183]. They are spineless and remain tender as they grow to a large size[183]. An F1 hybrid, it ripens earlier than open-pollinated cultivars and can therefore succeed in cooler climates, though it is still more suited to protected cultivation in Britain[183, K]. The plants are compact, uniform and heavy yielding, reaching a height of about 1 metre[183]. A harvest can be produced within 45 days from sowing the seed[183].

'Blondy'

The spineless, ribbed pods are an attractive creamy-lime in colour[183]. They are best picked when about 8cm long and are crisp and firm yet tender and not stringy[183]. A short-season cultivar for cooler regions, it can produce a crop within 48 days from sowing and has performed well in trials as far north as Canada[183]. The short, compact plants are up to 90cm tall and are very productive[183].

'Burgundy'

Growing about 1 metre tall with pods up to 20cm long[264]. It tolerates cooler weather than many other cultivars, though still requires warmer temperatures than are usually experienced in Beitish summers.

'Cajun Queen'

The bright, spineless, tapered pods are about 12cm long with 6 well-defined ridges[183]. They have an intense flavour and a rich colour, so do not fade into the background when cooked in stews etc[183]. An early, productive, very hardy cultivar, it grows up to 1 metre tall and can produce a crop within 50 days from sowing the seed[183].

'Clemson's Spineless'

An early-maturing variety that is more tolerant of cooler temperate conditions, it is worthwhile trying it outdoors in Britain[200].

'Dwarf Green Longpod'

Plants are up to 90cm tall with pods to 20cm[264]. A fast-maturing plant, it can crop within 50 days from seed[264].

'Emerald Spineless'

An early-maturing variety that is more tolerant of cooler temperate conditions, it is worthwhile trying it outdoors in Britain[200].

'Green Velvet'

An early-maturing variety that is more tolerant of cooler temperate conditions, it is worthwhile trying it outdoors in Britain[200].

'Long Green'

An early-maturing variety that is more tolerant of cooler temperate conditions, it is worthwhile trying it outdoors in Britain[200].

'Pentagreen'

The five-angled, slightly spiny pods are medium-green in colour and up to 15cm long, though for best quality they should be harvested when about half that size[183]. An early and high-yielding cultivar, producing sturdy, compact plants from 45 - 75cm tall[183]. They are very productive, even in areas usually considered too cool for okras[183]. They can produce a crop within 55 days from sowing the seed[183].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Conservatory Plants.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press 0 ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[55] Harris. B. C. Eat the Weeds. Pivot Health 1973
Interesting reading.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. 0
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[178] Stuart. Rev. G. A. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 0
A translation of an ancient Chinese herbal. Fascinating.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[189] Bell. L. A. Plant Fibres for Papermaking. Liliaceae Press 1988
A good practical section on how to make paper on a small scale plus details of about 75 species (quite a few of them tropical) that can be used.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

[264] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables Macmillan Reference Books, London. 1995 ISBN 0 333 62640 0
Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.

[272] Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6
Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Abelmoschus esculentus

jahara lou Sun Jan 16 08:40:29 2005

uhm for me this plant is very useful because it has also many uses like other plants in the world. If i could have the authority to name this plant as one of the world future plants i would be honor to do that ok

Link: Jaharas website wala lang

Abelmoschus esculentus

Mandy Fri Apr 14 2006

I'm an ethnobiology student and am currentyly working on an ethnography of okra. I need someone knowledgable on the subject to answer some anthropologuical questions for me so I can begin to write my paper. Are there any okra experts out there?

Abelmoschus esculentus

Raul Mon Jul 9 2007

Does okra increses uric acid?

Abelmoschus esculentus

HONEY Mon Jul 16 2007

Can someone help me out? i need to know about the different vegetative structures of okra... if you could badly answer my question...send me an email...thanks!

Abelmoschus esculentus

ZIRLANCE Fri Feb 22 2008

HELLO THERE...AM ZIRLANCE,A FORESTRY STUDENT.I JUST WANNA GATHER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OKRA,ITS EFFECTIVITY IN HEALING ULCERS,ITS LITERATURE ETC..ENYBODY CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION..HOW COULD I APPLY OKRA IN HEALING ULCERS?ITS PROCEDURES AND METHOD?

Abelmoschus esculentus

paul Tue Nov 4 2008

could anybody tell me if it is possible to grow abelmoschus esculentus (okra) all year round in morocco north africa if so how

Abelmoschus esculentus

celine Thu Nov 27 2008

can okra help in lowering blood sugar level?

Abelmoschus esculentus

pradeep Sat Feb 21 2009

www.google.com heterosis breeding in okra

Conservatory Plants

Lee C Sat Mar 14 2009

Conservatory Plans Online http://www.conservatoryplansonline.co.uk

Abelmoschus esculentus

prasanna Thu Sep 17 2009

i want the antiobesity property& which part is useful.

www.google.com

Abelmoschus esculentus

alfred agyekum Tue Oct 13 2009

nematode infection in Abelmoschus esculentus

Abelmoschus esculentus

Raffi Fri Oct 23 2009

Gardenology.org - Garden wiki & Plant encyclopedia Cultivation, propagation info and photos

Abelmoschus esculentus

Daniel Wed Nov 4 2009

do okra have antidiabetic properties? (already proven/in testing)

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