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Okra
Habit (mature) · Ibrahim Somgalia Guitti / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Limited coverage
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
A heat-loving annual of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to the Old World tropics and grown for its edible seed pods — the backbone of gumbo. Plants reach 3-5 feet with showy hibiscus-like, single-day yellow flowers carrying a deep purple center. It thrives where summers are hot: seed should not go out until the soil reaches 60°F, and the first pods follow about 55 days after germination.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (63/100)
Edible
Structure
Light
Full sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
36-60" tall · 18" apart
Hardy in zones
2-11
brutally cold to nearly frost-free winters
Summer heat range
Warm-Extreme
warm to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes okra prefers hot summer climates and that seed should not be sown until soil reaches 60°F with night temperatures above 55°F — heat, not cold-hardiness, governs where it succeeds, which is why an annual is listed across such a wide zone span.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/okra
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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