Abelmoschus esculentus
Origin: Palestine
Improvement status: Landrace
Seeds per packet: ~40
Germination tested 12/2022: 84%
Life cycle: Annual
'Bamyeh Falastinia' is a landrace okra that traces its roots to Palestine. From our experience growing it, there seem to be at least two predominant forms both of which are tall with little branching. The pods on one type have slightly dark greyish stripes along the ribs, while the others are uniformly green. Some of the plants in the population begin setting pods early, while others take their time. We presume this is an adaptation for a long growing season, with some plants producing more early, and others producing more later.
This okra is delicious raw, cooked, or pickled — and we found it particularly wonderful as a pizza topping!
EFN co-founder Nate Kleinman grew these in Franklinville, New Jersey in collaboration with our friend Joe Kiefer of Triple Oaks Nursery at their CSA farm. 50% of the sales of each packet supports the work the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library.
