View source for Okra

{{SPlantbox
|familia=Malvaceae
|genus=Abelmoschus
|species=esculentus
|common_name=Gumbo, Lady's finger, Okra
|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|habit=herbaceous
|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|Min ht box=30
|Min ht metric=in
|Max ht box=48
|Max ht metric=in
|height_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|Min wd box=18
|Min wd metric=in
|Max wd box=24
|Max wd metric=in
|width_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|origin=Ethiopia
|lifespan=annual
|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|exposure=sun
|sun_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|features=flowers, edible
|flower_season=early summer, mid summer, late summer
|flower_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|flowers=orange, yellow, white
|Temp Metric=°F
|min_zone=7
|usda_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
|max_zone=9
|image=Abelmoschus esculentus.jpg
|image_width=240
|image_caption=Okra leaves, flower buds and young fruit
}}
'''Okra''', or '''lady's finger''', is a [[flowering plant]] with small green pods in the mallow family [[Malvaceae]], originating somewhere near present-day [[Ethiopia]]. The word okra is of [[West African]] origin and is cognate with "ókùrù" in [[Igbo language|Igbo]].

It is an [[annual plant|annual]] or [[perennial plant|perennial]] [[herbaceous]] plant, growing to 2 m tall, straight up with very little [[phototropism]]. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 10–20 cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The [[flower]]s are 4–8 cm 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, 5–20 cm long, containing numerous [[seed]]s.