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Sources

Where the facts come from

Every factual claim on this site links to its source. This is the full list.

How we checked

Each fact was written alongside its source. Our build script stores the source text and, for every fact, checks that the key words and figures really appear in it. 148 of 148 checks passed when this site was last built (checked 30 Oct 2026). Where we couldn’t read a source, we left the claim out. We quote short phrases only, and never reproduce anyone else’s images.

Kew’s pages, and an old account

Kew’s Plants of the World Online pages could not be read directly by our checker, so we checked the facts against copies saved by the Internet Archive (dates in the list below), and link to those copies. For some history (the 1216 account, Brazil, Surinam, Philadelphia, Jefferson and the word gumbo) we use V. R. Boswell’s “Our Vegetable Travelers” from National Geographic in 1949, as reprinted by Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture. It is old, and some of its views (for example, that French colonists brought okra to Louisiana) differ from Kew’s, so we label it as a 1949 account wherever we use it and show both views.

Figures that change

Recommended variety lists, what seed suppliers stock and database records like Kew’s distribution data can change. Facts like these are marked “checked 30 Oct 2026”.

What we leave out

This is a site about growing okra and its history. We don’t give health, nutrition or diet advice, even where a source does. We don’t recommend pesticides or other chemicals. Our drawings are not identification guides: for a diagnosis, use the pages linked here. Where sources disagree, we show both rather than choose silently.

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) (4)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2)

Encyclopaedia Britannica (2)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2)

University extension services (USA) (4)

History: a 1949 account (1)

When sources disagree

Where sources give different figures, we show all of them, with links, and say how we handle it.

Where did okra come from?

How we handle it: Sources really do disagree here. Kew’s species profile, the RHS, Clemson and the 1949 account all point to Africa (Kew to the Sahel from Mali to Ethiopia, the RHS to East Africa, the 1949 account to Ethiopia and its neighbours). NC State says tropical Africa and Asia; Britannica, the tropics of the Eastern Hemisphere; FAO Ecocrop, South-East Asia; and Kew’s own distribution data give India and Bangladesh as the native range. Kew’s profile explains why India is often named. We show every view and don’t pick one.

Was okra grown in ancient Egypt?

How we handle it: Kew says evidence suggests okra was grown in Egypt as long ago as 2,000 BC. The 1949 account said no sign of it had been found in ancient Egyptian monuments or relics, and gave a visit to Egypt in 1216 as one of the earliest accounts. The 1949 account is much older than Kew’s profile; we show both.

How did okra reach the Americas and the American South?

How we handle it: Kew says okra was introduced to the Americas during the slave trade, and Britannica traces the word gumbo to a Bantu word for okra. The 1949 account says okra reached Brazil, supposedly from Africa, before 1658, but assumed that French colonists brought it to Louisiana in the early 1700s. These put the emphasis in different places; we give each, with the date of the source.

Which parts are eaten?

How we handle it: Britannica says only the tender unripe fruit is eaten; Kew says young leaves are sometimes cooked like spinach and the seeds are eaten in Nigeria and India. Both are quoted.

What shape is the pod?

How we handle it: Britannica describes a 10-angled pod 10–25cm long; Kew says roughly circular in cross-section, usually 5-ribbed, 10–20cm long. Clemson notes that round-podded varieties exist. Varieties differ; our drawings show a five-ribbed pod.

How tall does okra grow?

How we handle it: The RHS gives up to 120cm (4ft) for UK greenhouse plants; NC State gives 3–4 feet; Kew up to 5m but typically about 2m; FAO Ecocrop 2–4m. Variety and climate make a big difference.

How big should pods be when you pick them?

How we handle it: The RHS says about 5–10cm (2–4in); Clemson says 2 to 3 inches; Texas A&M AgriLife 3 to 4 inches; NC State 3 inches. Kew counts days instead: 3–5 days of development. The RHS, Clemson and Kew all point to picking pods young.

How often should you pick?

How we handle it: Clemson says at least every two days; Texas A&M AgriLife every 1 to 2 days; UGA every few days. The RHS says regular picking encourages more pods.

How warm for sowing?

How we handle it: The RHS says keep seeds above 16°C (60°F) indoors. Clemson says seeds germinate best in soil at 70–95°F and to wait if the soil is below 65°F at 4 inches; UGA also says at least 65°F; NC State says temperatures above 55°F, or start indoors.

How far apart?

How we handle it: The RHS gives 30–90cm (1–3ft) in a greenhouse border, depending on variety. Clemson: rows 3 to 6 feet apart, one plant every 9 to 12 inches. UGA: rows 3 feet apart, thinned to 1.5 to 2 feet. Texas A&M AgriLife: rows at least 3 feet apart, thinned to about 1 foot.

How long until the first pods?

How we handle it: Clemson says about 60 to 70 days after planting; Texas A&M AgriLife says flowers about 2 months after planting and pods 3 to 4 days later; FAO Ecocrop says 50–90 days; NC State says about 4 months after sowing.