Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus

Common Names: Okra 'Clemsons Spineless', Lady's Fingers, Gumbo, Ochro, Okoro, Quingumbo, Quimgombo, Gombo, Kopi Arab, Bhindi, Kacang Bendi, Bendi, Bamya, Bamia, Bamieh, Quimbombo, Quiabo, Qui Kui, Okura

Family: Malvaceae (Hibiscus & Mallow)

Etymology

Abelmoschus: Source Of Musk, Reference To Scent Of Seed
esculentus: Edible

Origin

The origin of okra is disputed, separate claims exist for okra being first cultivated in South Asian, Ethiopian and West African.  

Description

Okra is an annual, often single stemmed but sometime multi-branched vegetable that can grow 1.5 - 2m tall when grown under good conditions.  This variety produces high quality, dark green, lightly grooved, spineless pods.  This heirloom variety was first bred by Clemson University in South Carolina, USA.

Uses

Okra pods are best picked young about 7-8cm long otherwise they will be tough and stringy.  Okra can be eaten raw, although the mucilaginous texture can be off-putting at first.  A good way to get used to the texture of raw okra is to slice it thinly and add to salads.  breaded, fried okra is a common way to prepare the pods.  Diced okra when added to soups and stews will help to thicken it.  The leaves can also be eaten when young.

Germination

Okra doesn't transplant well so sow it directly where you want to grow it.  Soak seed prior to planting overnight in warm (not boiling) water until they have swelled.   Sow seed 1.5cm deep and spaced 30cm apart.  In subtropic and temperate regions sow okra seed from early Spring as soon as all chance of frost has past, until the end of Summer.  In the tropics sow from April to September.  Should be started early indoors if grown temperate regions.

Cultivation

Prefers growing in well drained soil with a full sun aspect.  Requires regular watering in hot weather.  Takes 7-9 weeks from sowing to harvest.  Be on the look-out for looper caterpillars as they can quickly eat away all the leaves if left unchecked.  Aphids can also pose a problem and can distort growing tips, watch out for them and the ants which tend and carry them about,  I like to control them by sprinkling diatomaceous earth over them.  Harvest pods regularly to ensure continuing production.  Plants produce pods from an early age however early pods will often fall off without maturing or be very small, don't be too disappointed by this as plants will produce better pods as they grow larger.

Clemsons Spineless Okra Flower: Okra being in the Hibiscus family (Malvaceae) have quite attractive flowers in their own right, although a lot of the time they won't fully open like this one has.