Wild Lettuce ( Lactuca virosa ) is a hardy biennial herb prized for its distinctive foliage and traditional herbal uses. With its tall, upright growth habit and deeply lobed green leaves, this plant adds a striking presence to herb gardens and naturalized areas. In its second year, wild lettuce produces clusters of small yellow flowers, enhancing its ornamental appeal while attracting pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Adaptable and easy to grow, wild lettuce thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-draining soil.
Variety Details
Botanical name:Lactuca virosa
Crop category: Lettuce
Kitchen profile: Wild lettuce is known for its traditional role in traditional herbal practice.
Product format: Seed packet
Recorded harvest window: Summer
Sowing & Growing
Planting season: :Spring or Fall
Packet directions: Use packet-specific measurements when exact sowing figures are absent from the current record
Local timing: Adjust sowing to local soil temperature, frost dates, and seasonal conditions
Prepare a fine seedbed for Wild Lettuce and keep the shallow sowing zone evenly moist while seedlings emerge. Thin according to the intended harvest stage: closer spacing can suit young leaves, while mature heads need more room. In warming weather, evaluate soil moisture and plant condition frequently instead of following a universal schedule. Pick outer leaves or cut mature plants at the stage you prefer. Record sowing and harvest dates to refine timing for the next planting.
Once established, this resilient plant self-seeds readily, ensuring its place in your garden for years to come.
Wild lettuce is known for its traditional role in traditional herbal practice.
Before sowing Wild Lettuce, review the packet alongside the current product details and note any range in temperature, germination, or maturity. Ranges reflect biological and seasonal variation rather than a fixed promise. Label each planting with its date and location, then compare emergence, growth, and harvest with local weather. This record is useful for succession plantings and for deciding whether the crop fits better into an earlier or later seasonal window.
Explore related options in our Herb Seeds.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended todiagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
