Dwarf varieties will grow to about three feet tall, while standard cultivars get up to eight feet. Leaves are cordate in shape, and lobed or divided. The fruit is a long pod, usually ribbed, spineless in cultivated kinds, and harvested when three - four inches long. Pods are harvested while still tender and immature. The first pods are ready for harvest about two months after planting, but the plants will continue to bloom and produce pods if the they are harvested continuously before they get too large.
Most pods are ready for harvesting from four to six days after the bloom opens.
Many people are sensitive to the small spines on okra and can get a rash or itch when picking the pods, so harvesters should wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants for protection. Well drained sandy loams high in organic matter are the best for okra production. The plant does not like heavy clay soils or waterlogged soil. It can survive dry periods, but will produce better with regular irrigation. There should be 12 to 15 inches between plants.