Warm season, chilling and frost-susceptible. Probably brought to N. America by African slaves. Direct seeded or transplanted.
Okra cultivars differ for height, pod color, prominence of pod ridges and presence of spines.
Major commercial cultivars are spineless. F 1 hybrid varieties more uniform. Hand harvested when pods reach optimal eating size of about 7 to 10 cm. Sharma, G. Okra, Abelmoschus spp. Lorenz, O.A. Okra.