Okra

Okra known in many English-speaking countries as ladies’ fingers, ochro or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.

The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, and often grows to around 2 m tall. It is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds.