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Lettuce

Leafy Green
Cool season
Partial shade to full sun (afternoon shade in summer)

Also known as: Butterhead · Romaine · Cos · Lactuca sativa

Varieties

152 types of lettuce

Adrena

55 days

Green butterhead — glossy heads, downy-mildew resistant.

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Alberto

55 days

Green butterhead — tender leaves, reliable in cool tunnels.

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Alkindus

55 days

Red butterhead — deep burgundy outer leaves, sweet buttery interior, disease-resistant.

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Antonet

55 days

also: Antonette

Green butterhead — smooth Boston-type, tender leaves.

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Anuenue

60 days

Hawaiian-bred crisphead — exceptional heat tolerance, holds a solid head in tropical summers.

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Arctic King

65 days

Cold-hardy butterhead — overwinters in mild climates for very early spring salads.

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Aunt Mae's Bibb

55 days

Heirloom bibb butterhead — small tender heads, sweet flavor, family Kentucky variety.

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Azurka

55 days

Red-tinged butterhead — burgundy outer leaves, pale heart.

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Baby Oakleaf

45 days

Compact green oakleaf — tender lobed leaves at baby-leaf size, cut-and-come-again.

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Bambi

45 days

Mini green romaine — small sweet hearts, salad-plate size.

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Bar

60 days

Green romaine — uniform tall heads, disease-resistant.

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Bauer

50 days

Compact green butterhead — small tidy heads, tolerant of heat and cold.

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Bergam's Green

50 days

Green oakleaf looseleaf — glossy, tender, holds through mild summers.

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Bigelow

55 days

Green butterhead — reliable heads with a buttery yellow heart.

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Black Hawk

55 days

Very dark red looseleaf — near-black outer leaves, striking in mixes.

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Black Seeded Simpson

45 days

Fast heirloom loose-leaf — pale-green ruffled leaves, mild flavor. The classic cut-and-come-again lettuce.

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Blue Rock

55 days

Dark-green butterhead — blue-green cast to leaves, downy-mildew resistant.

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Breen

55 days

Mini red romaine — deep-red leaves, small tidy heads, bolt-resistant.

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Brentwood

55 days

Green looseleaf — heat-tolerant, uniform, mild sweet flavor.

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Buckley

55 days

Red oakleaf — deep color, bolt-tolerant summer looseleaf.

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Bullet

70 days

Dense mini-romaine — thick crunchy hearts, perfect for Caesar and grilling.

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Burgundy

55 days

also: Burgandy

Wine-red looseleaf — jewel-tone leaves, mild flavor, showy in salads.

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Buttercrunch

55 days

AAS-winning butterhead — small tender heads with a buttery yellow heart. Heat-tolerant.

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Capitan

55 days

Dutch butterhead — smooth pale-green heads, reliable and slow to bolt.

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Carlsbad

60 days

Green romaine — Nasonovia-resistant, tall uniform heads.

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Casey

60 days

Green romaine — tall dense hearts, tipburn-resistant.

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Catalina

55 days

Green butterhead — glossy heads, downy-mildew resistant.

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Cecilia

55 days

Green Boston butterhead — smooth heads, greenhouse and field friendly.

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Clearwater

60 days

Green romaine — sturdy tall hearts, uniform under stress.

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Coastal Star

60 days

Dark-green romaine — tall uniform heads, holds beautifully in heat.

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Coastline

55 days

Green romaine — dense hearts, tipburn-tolerant summer variety.

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Continuity

60 days

also: Continuity / Rouge Grenobloise

French red-tinged butterhead — crisp, holds long in the field without bolting.

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Crispino

60 days

Green iceberg — dense heads, heat-tolerant crisphead for warm climates.

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Cristobal

60 days

Green romaine — Nasonovia-resistant, uniform hearts.

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Daisy Lambert

55 days

Bright-green looseleaf — frilled leaves, tender, family-heirloom origin.

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Danstar

60 days

Green romaine — Nasonovia-resistant, uniform tall heads.

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Dark Red Lollo Rossa

55 days

also: Lolla Rossa

Italian frilly red looseleaf — deeply ruffled burgundy leaves, the classic red frill.

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Devil's Tongue

55 days

Deeply-lobed red looseleaf — pointed 'tongue' leaves, bold color.

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Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed

55 days

Italian heirloom looseleaf — ruffled green leaves tipped in wine-red; conversation-starter name.

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Eazyleaf® Salad Blend

45 days

One-cut Eazyleaf varieties in a blend — the whole plant harvested in a single slice.

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Eiffel Tower

65 days

Tall upright romaine — stately heads, crisp and slow-bolting.

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Elima

55 days

Green butterhead — smooth heads, downy-mildew resistant.

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Ezflor

55 days

Green Salanova-type one-cut — uniform rosette of small leaves harvested in one snip.

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Ezpark

55 days

Red Salanova-type one-cut — dense red rosette for a full bag of baby leaves per plant.

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Ezrilla

55 days

Green frilled one-cut — dense ruffled rosette, holds well after harvest.

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Five Star Greenhouse Lettuce Mix

40–55 days

Blend curated for greenhouse growing — quick-turn baby-leaf types for indoor beds.

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Flandria

55 days

Green Boston butterhead — smooth pale heads, hydroponic staple.

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Flashy Trout's Back

55 days

American selection of Forellenschluss-type romaine — bright green with bold red splashes.

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Forellenschluss

55 days

also: Speckled Trout Back

Austrian romaine speckled with maroon 'trout' markings — buttery, sweet, gorgeous.

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Forest Green

50 days

Deeply-lobed dark-green oakleaf — tender looseleaf for cutting mixes.

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Friasco

55 days

Green Batavian summer crisp — glossy leaves, tipburn-tolerant.

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Fusion

55 days

Frilled green looseleaf — heat-tolerant with lacy leaves.

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Garden Heirloom Blend

45–60 days

Classic heirloom lettuces mixed together — colors, shapes, and flavors from around the world.

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Garrison

60 days

Green romaine — heavy disease-resistance, upright habit.

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Gatsby

60 days

Green romaine — tall glossy heads, sweet crunch.

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Gladius

60 days

Green romaine — thick sword-shaped leaves, sweet ribs.

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Gloryberry

55 days

Deep-red frilled looseleaf — berry-colored ruffled leaves.

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Gold Rush

50 days

Bright lime-yellow frilled looseleaf — glows on the plate, mild sweet flavor.

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Gordini

45 days

Mini green romaine — compact upright heads, sweet crunchy hearts.

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Grazion

55 days

Green butterhead — dense uniform heads, disease-resistant.

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Green Deer Tongue

50 days

also: Deer Tongue

Heirloom looseleaf with pointed triangular leaves — heat-tolerant, mild, holds in the row.

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Green Forest

60 days

Dark-green romaine — extra-tall dense heads, holds well in the field.

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Green Ice

50 days

Crisp green looseleaf — savoyed frilly leaves, sweet crunch, slow to bolt.

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Green Salad Bowl

50 days

AAS-winning green oakleaf — mild, tender, slow to bolt; the sister of Red Salad Bowl.

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Hampton

60 days

Green butterhead — smooth pale heads, disease resistance package, market favorite.

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Hanson Improved

80 days

1925 heirloom crisphead — huge frilled outer leaves, blanched sweet crunchy heart. Heat-tolerant and slow to bolt.

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Heat-Tolerant Lettuce Mix

40–55 days

Curated blend of summer-holding varieties for baby-leaf salads through hot months.

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Italienischer

55 days

Italian frilled looseleaf — green with fine-cut edges, tender and mild.

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Jericho

60 days

Heat-tolerant Israeli romaine — the go-to for summer lettuce that resists bitterness and bolting.

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Lalique

55 days

also: Lalaku

Red oakleaf — deep-red lobed leaves, uniform habit.

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Little Gem

45 days

Miniature romaine-butterhead — sweet crunchy hearts, one head per plate.

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Lofty

60 days

Tall green romaine — big upright heads with crisp sweet ribs.

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Loma

60 days

Green iceberg-type crisphead — dense heads, tipburn-resistant.

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London Springs Lettuce Mix

40–55 days

Cool-weather baby-leaf blend — spring-hardy greens and reds for early salads.

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Magenta

60 days

Red-tinged Batavian summer crisp — burgundy blush over green, crunchy heat-tolerant.

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Marciano

55 days

Green butterhead — glossy heads, downy-mildew and Nasonovia resistant.

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Marilsa

55 days

Green butterhead — glossy Boston-type, downy-mildew resistant.

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Marshall

55 days

Green oakleaf looseleaf — reliable heat-tolerant staple for cut mixes.

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Marvel of Four Seasons

55 days

also: Merveille des Quatre Saisons

French heirloom butterhead — bronze-red outer leaves, cream heart. Adapts to spring, summer, fall, and mild winter sowings.

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Merlot

55 days

Nearly-black red looseleaf — the darkest lettuce you can grow, rich color even in heat.

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Merveille des Quatre Saisons

60 days

also: Marvel of Four Seasons

French heirloom butterhead — bronze-red outer leaves, cream heart; grows spring through fall.

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Milagro

55 days

Green butterhead — Batavian character, downy-mildew resistant.

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Monte Carlo

65 days

Green romaine — tall crunchy heads, classic Caesar shape.

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Myrrh

55 days

Green looseleaf — tender ruffled leaves for cut-and-come-again.

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Nevada

60 days

Green summer crisp (Batavian) — heat-tolerant, tipburn-resistant, crunchy.

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New Red Fire

55 days

Frilly red looseleaf — bright red-and-green ruffles, disease-resistant, market classic.

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Newham

60 days

Red butterhead — glossy burgundy outer leaves over a buttery heart.

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North Pole

65 days

Cold-hardy overwintering butterhead — bred for northern winter tunnels.

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Optima

55 days

Buttery green Boston-type — soft leaves, mild sweet flavor, downy-mildew resistant.

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Oscarde

50 days

Red oakleaf — bronze-red lobed leaves, tender and slow to bolt.

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Outredgeous

50 days

Vivid red romaine — famously grown aboard the International Space Station.

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Panisse

50 days

also: Panice, Panace

Bright-green oakleaf — deeply-lobed frilled leaves, tender.

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Pint Size

45 days

Mini butterhead — pint-glass-size heads, tender all the way through.

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Pomegranate Crunch

55 days

Mini red romaine — deep-red leaves over pale hearts, crunchy sweet ribs.

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Pot & Patio Blend

45 days

Compact lettuces bred for containers — dwarf heads and looseleaf for balcony gardens.

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Powerhouse

55 days

Green romaine with heavy disease-resistance stack — tall uniform heads.

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Purple Fusion

55 days

Purple frilly looseleaf sibling of Fusion — deep color, fine-cut leaves.

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Rabello

55 days

Red oakleaf — deep-red lobed leaves, uniform habit, holds color in heat.

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Rainier

60 days

Green romaine — tall dense heads, uniform, holds in the field.

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Rays

60 days

Green romaine — bright leaves, disease-resistant, uniform heads.

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Red Cross

55 days

Red butterhead — jewel-red outer leaves, pale butter heart.

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Red Iceberg

70 days

Crisphead with red-flushed outer leaves — the iceberg crunch with color.

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Red Sails

50 days

AAS-winning bronze-red frilly looseleaf — very slow to bolt, tender all season.

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Red Salad Bowl

50 days

Deep-burgundy oakleaf looseleaf — bolt-resistant classic, striking with green types.

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Regency 2.0

60 days

Improved green romaine — updated disease-resistance package, uniform tall heads.

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Regency 3.0

60 days

Latest Regency-line green romaine — Nasonovia-resistant, tipburn-tolerant.

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Reno

55 days

Red oakleaf — deep-red lobed leaves, tender and uniform.

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Revolution

55 days

Deeply-frilled red looseleaf — bold ruffles, striking in salad mixes.

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Rex

50 days

Bright-green Boston butterhead — smooth glossy heads, cornerstone hydroponic variety.

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Riptide

55 days

Green romaine — tipburn-resistant, uniform hearts.

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Romaine (Parris Island Cos)

65 days

also: Cos

Tall crisp upright heads — the Caesar salad lettuce. Slow to bolt in cool weather.

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Rosaine

50 days

Mini red romaine — burgundy leaves, crunchy hearts, great single-serve size.

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Rosane

55 days

Red butterhead — smooth burgundy leaves over a soft heart.

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Rouge d'Hiver

60 days

also: Rug d'Hiver

French heirloom red-tinged winter romaine — cold-hardy with bronze outer leaves.

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Rubigo

55 days

Red oakleaf — deep burgundy leaves, uniform, disease-resistant.

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Salad Bowl Mix

50 days

AAS oak-leaf loose-leaf in green and red. Cut outer leaves; regrows for weeks.

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Salanova® Green Butter

55 days

One-cut butterhead-type Salanova — dense rosette of small tender leaves.

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Salanova® Red Sweet Crisp

55 days

One-cut red Salanova with crisp Batavian texture — colorful and crunchy in one snip.

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Salvius

60 days

Green romaine — sturdy uniform hearts, holds in the field.

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Selenite

55 days

Pale-green frilled looseleaf — soft crystalline color, tender leaves.

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Shirene

55 days

also: Shireen Sky

Red butterhead — burgundy outer leaves, sweet buttery heart.

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Simpson Elite

45 days

Improved Black Seeded Simpson — slower bolting, same fast tender leaves.

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Skyphos

50 days

Red butterhead — deep burgundy outer leaves, downy-mildew resistant, market darling.

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Slobolt

55 days

Light-green frilled looseleaf bred specifically to hold in heat without turning bitter.

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Sonaguri

55 days

Korean-style red looseleaf — burgundy leaves used for ssam wraps.

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Sparx

60 days

also: Sparks

Green romaine — tall thick-ribbed heads, sweet crunch.

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Speckles

55 days

Butterhead speckled red on green — an heirloom cousin of Forellenschluss with softer leaves.

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Starfighter

55 days

Green frilly looseleaf — heat-tolerant with heavy disease resistance.

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Sulu

55 days

Green butterhead — glossy pale heads, downy-mildew resistant.

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Summertime

70 days

Slow-bolting summer iceberg — dense pale heads that resist tipburn in heat.

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Sunland

60 days

Green romaine — heat-tolerant, tipburn-resistant.

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Super Gourmet Salad Blend

40–55 days

Multi-variety mesclun mix — reds, greens, oakleaves, and lolla types for baby-leaf salads.

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Sylvesta

55 days

Green Boston butterhead — thick smooth leaves, cold-tolerant.

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Tambay

55 days

Green romaine — glossy tall heads, market-grower reliable.

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Tango

45 days

Frilly deeply-cut green looseleaf — endive-like leaves, sharp visual contrast.

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Tendita

55 days

Green Boston butterhead — tender smooth leaves, hydroponic reliable.

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Therinus

55 days

Green butterhead — smooth heads, holds without bolting in warm weather.

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Tom Thumb

45 days

Miniature butterhead heirloom — softball-size heads, one-per-serving.

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Tropicana

50 days

Bright-green frilly looseleaf — heat-tolerant, MTO downy mildew resistance.

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Truchas

55 days

Mini red romaine — compact heads, deep color, holds without bolting.

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Two Star

50 days

Green looseleaf — heat-tolerant, tipburn-resistant, market-grower favorite.

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Valmaine

70 days

Heirloom green romaine — tall dark heads, resistant to downy mildew.

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Victoria

55 days

Green Batavian summer crisp — glossy leaves, crunchy, slow to bolt.

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Volcana

55 days

Red-speckled looseleaf — bright green with heavy red flecking.

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Waldmann's Dark Green

50 days

also: Waldman's Dark Green

Dark-green ruffled looseleaf — sturdy leaves, holds well through summer.

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Webb's Wonderful

70 days

British heirloom crisphead — big frilled heads, crunchy and slow to bolt.

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Wildest Garden Lettuce Mix

40–55 days

Wild-looking blend of frilled and oakleaf types in every color for cutting mixes.

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Winter Brown

65 days

Bronze-tinged overwintering butterhead — European heirloom for fall-planted tunnels.

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Winter Density

60 days

Cold-hardy romaine-butterhead cross — compact dark heads, overwinters with cover.

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Winterwunder

70 days

German winter butterhead — cold-hardy, overwinters for very early spring cutting.

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Xalbadora

60 days

Green romaine — Nasonovia aphid resistance, uniform tall heads.

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Yukon Winter Mix

45–65 days

Cold-hardy blend built for late-fall and overwintered lettuce beds.

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When & where

Season
Cool season — spring and fall
USDA zones
Annual in zones 2–11
Sun
Partial shade to full sun (afternoon shade in summer)
Start indoors
4–6 weeks before last frost
Direct sow outdoors
As soon as soil can be worked
Days to harvest
30–70 days

Germination

Germination time
7–10 days
Soil temperature
40–75°F (4–24°C) — pauses above 80°F

Spacing & depth

Sow depth
1/8" (3 mm) — needs light
Seed spacing
1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) in rows, or broadcast; thin to 8–12 in
Mature plant spacing
8–12 in (20–30 cm)
Row spacing
12–18 in (30–45 cm)

How to plant

Press seed onto surface, barely cover with vermiculite. Keep cool and moist. Succession sow every 2 weeks for a rolling harvest.

Grower's tip

Bolt-resistant varieties (Jericho, Muir) for summer growing.

Soil preferences

Soil type

Rich, moisture-retentive loam.

pH range

6.0–7.0

Amendments

Compost + a light nitrogen source (blood meal, aged manure) — greens are all leaf, so they want nitrogen.

Watering

Frequency

Consistent — 1 in per week minimum, more in heat. Uneven water triggers bolt.

Method

Overhead is fine in the morning; drip is best in humid climates.

Over vs. under

Overwatered: soft rot at the crown, yellow lower leaves. Underwatered: bitter flavor, tough leaves, premature bolting.

Top-water or bottom-water?

Either works — Top-water is fine — greens enjoy a gentle morning overhead rinse to cool the crown. Bottom-water indoor seedlings and microgreen trays to prevent damping-off. Skip evening overhead water.

Temperature tolerance

Ideal daytime air temp

60–70°F (15–21°C) — bolts above 75°F (24°C)

Ideal nighttime air temp

40–55°F (4–13°C)

Frost sensitivity

Tolerates light frost; some varieties (Winter Density, Rouge d'Hiver) overwinter under row cover in zone 6+.

Container growing

Container-suitable?

Yes — great in containers

Recommended pot size

6–8 in deep, any width; a window box works

Notes

Perfect for pots and hydroponics; cut-and-come-again mixes give weeks of harvest per sowing.

Succession planting

Every 10–14 days spring and fall. Skip midsummer or use shade cloth + heat-resistant varieties.

Detailed harvesting

Cut outer leaves and let the crown keep producing (cut-and-come-again), or cut the whole rosette 1 in above the crown for a fresh flush.

Post-harvest storage & preservation

Rinse, spin dry, and store in a sealed bag with a paper towel in the crisper 5–7 days. Blanch and freeze for cooking greens.

Culinary, medicinal & other uses

Salads, sautés, smoothies, soups. Bitter or overgrown leaves are best cooked, not raw.

Medicinal or traditional uses are shared for interest only — this is not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before using any plant medicinally.

Seed saving

Pollination

Lettuce is self-pollinating; spinach is wind-pollinated; brassica greens (kale, arugula, mustard) are insect-pollinated and cross freely.

Isolation needs

Lettuce 20 ft; spinach 1/2 mile; brassicas 1/4 mile or cage.

How to save

Let a robust plant bolt; harvest dry seed stalks; rub clean; store dry.

Your zone's planting calendar

Pick your USDA hardiness zone and we'll estimate the key dates for lettuce in your area. These are regional averages — always check your own last-frost forecast before sowing.

From your kitchen — grow lettuce from what you already have

Let one plant bolt (send up its flower stalk) — a single bolted lettuce gives thousands of seeds.

  1. 1Leave a lettuce plant to flower. Yellow dandelion-like blooms open, then close into fluffy white 'parachutes' 2–3 weeks later.
  2. 2Once about half the flower heads are fluffy, cut the whole stalk and drop it upside-down into a paper bag.
  3. 3Shake vigorously; seeds fall out with the fluff. Winnow the chaff by tipping through a sieve or blowing gently.
  4. 4Store dry. Sow in cool weather next spring or fall.

Storage: 3 years dry.

My Lettuce notes

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Track packets and loose seeds you already have. Private to your account.

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