Okra is a small vegetable which grows well in hot climates such as the southern United States, the Mediterranean, Northern Australia, and much of Africa and Asia. But, since it's an annual plant, you should be able to grow it as far south as Mildura (Australia) in a good summer.

The original okras originated in Africa around Eritrea, Ethiopia and parts of Mali and Sudan, but it has also been grown in India for a very long time. Some research suggests that the Indian varieties might have developed independently as hybrids between these and African ones are partially sterile, which means they are probably not closely related.

red gumbo

It was introduced to Spain (where it was known as Bamiyas) by the Moors and America (where it is known as Gumbo) by African slaves.

It has hibiscus-like flowers and edible pods can be green, red (as with Burgundy and Red Okra) or White (as with White Velvet). I always suggest growing the weirdest varieties you can find, to promote bio-diversity and to have something to talk about at Barbeques, but mainly just for the hell of it.

How to Grow Okra

Okra is an annual bush which can grow between one meter and as high as four meters with the variety Perkins Mammoth. The Seed Savers' Network of Byron Bay (sub-tropical climate) suggests that they do not require a lot of attention, but I would suggest providing the same conditions as sweet corn - although they do require more heat, and should be in full sun (as should corn) -- making sure the soil is fertile, with a high potash content (from a source such as sulfate of potash, which can be added, in small quantities, directly onto the soil, or dissolved and added as a liquid with something like a seaweed fertiliser).

Most varieties need about four months of good heat to mature, but during summer in the sub tropics you can get fruit in as little as fifty days. It helps to soak seeds in warm water overnight before planting, to assist in germination. As it can be a big plant, I’d suggest raising them in seed trays or pots before transplanting them into the garden. This just helps with your spacing. You may also want to make sure you have just a few good plants, as they do produce over a long time and you can often get too much of a good thing, as with zucchinis. The main advice to give when picking is to eat the fruit whilst it is young (around 7.5 cm long with most varieties). If you want to save the seed, just leave them there until the get old, then open them up and pick the seeds out for next years crop.

Okra Flower, Much Like Hibiscus

Look this is a beautiful plant and I think it is well worth having a couple hanging around in your summer garden, especially since it is both ornamental and edible.

As for recipes, well the Africans love to eat it spicy, but you can also cook it for about two minutes in stir fries (in oil) or stew it very slowly in soups and stews. In Guinea, west Africa, they eat the leaves like spinach. Experiment a little, or go and get a Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef) book, for if I copy one of his recipe here he'd probably hunt me down and have his lawyers tear my limbs off and then cook me up with half a dozen spices for an hour, until I was just right.

Anyway, enough about the Naked Chef, and enough about Gumbo. As Nike says, just grow it -- but don't tell Nike I said that, otherwise they might get their lawyers onto me and have me deported to a south-east Asian sweatshop to make basketball boots for the NBL.

Okra Seed in a Jar

Some varieties to look out for:

Clemson's Spineless, Perkin's Spineless, Viking Green (which is almost a climber and needs support) and Dwarf Freen Longpod (which is a dwarf pant to 90 cm, with long pods up to 20 cm).

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