Common Name: Okra

General Information

Abelmoschus esculentus is an erect, often much branched, slightly woody annual plant with spiny pubescence. It can grow from 2 - 4 metres tall[].
The plant is widely cultivated in warm temperate to tropical areas for its edible seedpods[, , ]. It has various other edible and medicinal uses, as well as being the source of a good quality fibre.

Known Hazards

The hairs on the seed pods can be an irritant to some people and gloves should be worn when harvesting them. These hairs can be easily removed by washing[].

Botanical References

Range

The original habitat is obscure.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Abelmoschus esculentus is a plant of tropical to warm temperate regions, with most varieties growing well in the lowland humid tropics up to elevations of 1,000 metres. It is not so well suited to temperate areas, though varieties have been developed that can be grown successfully with a growing season of around 6 months. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 30°c, but can tolerate 12 - 35°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 300 - 2,500mm[].
Prefers a well-drained humus rich fertile soil in full sun and a pH around 6 to 6.7[] but it tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH from 5.5 to 8[]. It prefers a soil with a high potash content[]. The plant requires a warm sunny position sheltered from winds[]. It likes plenty of moisture, both in the soil and in the atmosphere[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8.7[].
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[]. By constant harvesting, it is possible to keep the plant productive for several months[]. By cutting the plant back after harvest, it is possible to obtain 2 - 3 crops from each plant[].
A yield of 2 - 3 tonnes per hectare can be obtained[]. Intensive growing systems have produced much higher yields of 10 tonnes per hectare, occasionally as high as 40 tonnes[].
There are many named varieties[, , ].
Okra is a short-day plant, but its wide geographical distribution (up to latitudes of 35 - 40°) indicates that cultivars differ markedly in sensitivity[]. Flower initiation and flowering are hardly affected by daylength in popular subtropical cultivars such as 'Clemson Spineless' and 'Pusa Sawani[]. Most tropical cultivars show quantitative short-day responses, but qualitative responses also occur. The shortest critical daylength reported is 12 hours 30 minutes[].
Fruits should be harvested when 7 - 8 days old[]. Earlier picking depresses yields because of low fruit weight, but delayed picking depresses marketable yields because over-aged fruits become fibrous[].
Plants resent being transplanted[].

Edible Uses

Immature fruit - cooked on their own or added to soups etc[, ]. They can be used fresh or dried[]. Mucilaginous[], they are commonly used as a thickening for soups, stews and sauces[]. Dried okra powder is used in salad dressings, ice creams, cheese spreads, and confectionery[]. The fruits are rich in pectin and are also a fair source of iron and calcium[]. The fresh fruits contain 740 iu vitamin A[]. The fruit should be harvested whilst young, older fruits soon become fibrous[]. The fruit can be up to 20cm long[].

Seed - cooked or ground into a meal and used in making bread or made into 'tofu' or 'tempeh'[]. The seed contains about 20% protein and 20% oil[].

The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[, , ]. Known as 'café de pobre' in some Spanish-speaking areas, it is probably the best of the coffee substitutes[, ].

The seed contains up to 22% of an edible oil[, , , , ].

The leaves, flower buds, flowers and calyces can be eaten cooked as greens[]. An agreeable sour flavour[]. The leaves can be dried, crushed into a powder and stored for later use[]. They are also used as a flavouring[].

Root - it is edible but very fibrous[]. Mucilaginous, without very much flavour[].

Medicinal

The roots are very rich in mucilage, having a strongly demulcent action[, ]. They are said by some to be better than marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis)[]. This mucilage can be used as a plasma replacement[, ]. An infusion of the roots is used in the treatment of syphilis[]. The juice of the roots is used externally in Nepal to treat cuts, wounds and boils[].

The leaves furnish an emollient poultice[, , ]. They are also used as an emollient, sudorific or antiscorbutic and to treat dysuria[].

A decoction of the immature fruits is demulcent, diuretic and emollient[]. It is used in the treatment of catarrhal infections, ardor urinae, dysuria and gonorrhoea[].

The fruit is crushed with the young leaves and then used to wash the hair and to treat dandruff[].

The seeds are antispasmodic, cordial and stimulant[]. An infusion of the roasted seeds has sudorific properties[].

An infusion of the flowers is used to treat phlegm in the mucous membranes of the chest[].

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the stems is used as a substitute for jute[, , , ]. Strong and silky[]. It is also used in making paper and textiles[]. The fibres are about 2.4mm long[]. 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[].

The mucilage from the roots and stems has industrial value for clarifying sugarcane juice in gur manufacture[].

A decoction of the root or of the seeds is used as a size for paper[].

The fruit is crushed with the young leaves and then used to wash the hair and to treat dandruff[].

An extract of the fruit is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the crushed seeds is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ. A minimum soil temperature of 16c is required for the seed to germinate[]. The seed germinates in 27 days at 15°c or 6 days at 35°c[].

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