Okra

Okra Clemson Spineless seedlings
Okra Burgundy seed packet and seedlings
Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Family: Malvaceae
Cultivars: Clemson spineless and Burgundy
Also Known As: bhindi, lady’s fingers,
Origin: West africa (Clemson spineless cultivar was bred by Leon Robbins at Clemson University.)
Source: Niche Seeds NZ

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  • 17/01/2010 Started seeds in peat pots with compost.
  • 30/01/2010 Planted five seedlings around the vegetable garden (along with Okra Burgundy and Spaghetti Squash)
  • Flowering Burgundy Okra from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange01/02/2010 Just discovered picture of flowering red okra from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (at right) and am struck by beauty of flower, that okra is a fruit, the stems are also red, and also that okra grows in the opposite direction that I expected. Wow! (Another pretty pic from Seed Savers Exchange.)
  • 02/02/2010 020210 okra burgundy seedlings
  • 27/04/2010 The seedlings started off so hearty, so happy. And yet, for the most part, they have failed to thrive. They didn’t die exactly, they just didn’t grow. It was a bit audacious to plant them exposed to windy Wellington to begin with, and with winter setting in, I figured it must be hopeless. So I’ve been replacing them with more hearty winter crops. But look – here is one budding. Perhaps we’ll have a flower after all? I am so impressed.