Gourd is the name of a group of ornamental trailing or climbing plants. Gourds are vegetables closely related to squashes and pumpkins. They grow wild in America, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Gourds bear fruits of many colors and shapes. The leaves are large with pointed lobes, and the flowers are usually yellow.
Some of the smaller and more attractive gourds include salt-and-pepper gourds, nest-egg gourds, and dishcloth gourds. The dishcloth gourd, also called the luffa or loofah, has become popular in America. The inside of the dried fruit is full of fibers that make a dishcloth or bath sponge which smells sweet. Very young dishcloth gourds are among the few that can be eaten.
Bottle gourds bear large fruits used mainly as novelties and ornaments. Other popular gourds include the dipper; pipe gourd or calabash; apple, orange, and pear-shaped gourds; powder horn; and Hercules’s-club.
Gourds are easy to grow. The seeds need only be planted in a sunny area after danger of frost has passed.
