9 named cultivars

fruit vegetable

Lettuce

The Story

Plant Bio

Lactuca sativa, lettuce, is a cool-season annual vegetable native from the Mediterranean to Siberia, reaching six to twelve inches before bolting. Leaf shape and colour vary enormously across cultivars — round to ragged and wavy, in green, red-purple, yellow and near-white — and all of it is edible until the plant runs to seed.

It bolts as soon as days lengthen and temperatures climb, sending up a flower stalk and turning bitter within days, which is why it is grown in spring and autumn rather than through summer. Sowing a short row every two weeks gives a continuous supply where a single large sowing gives one glut and then nothing.

Uses & Benefits:

Red, bronze and frilled cultivars are genuinely decorative in a border or container.

Fast from seed and croppable within weeks, with cut-and-come-again types yielding repeatedly.

Flowers left to bolt attract small pollinators and produce seed for birds.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Fruit Vegetable

Height

9 inches

Width

12 inches

Light

Full Sun, Partial Sun

Zones

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Water

Moderate

Humidity

Moderate

Lifespan

Annual

Native To

Mediterranean to Siberia

Toxicity

Non-toxic

Planting

How to Grow

Sow directly from early spring, or start indoors for transplanting.
Choose full sun in spring and autumn, partial shade in warm weather.
Sow a short row every two weeks for a continuous supply.
Keep the soil evenly moist; dryness triggers bolting.
Harvest outer leaves or cut whole heads as needed.
Stop sowing through the hottest weeks.

Pro Tip

Sow a short row every two weeks rather than one long one — lettuce goes from perfect to bitter in about a week once it starts to bolt.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Sow successionally every two weeks 🌱
Keep soil evenly moist 💧
Give afternoon shade in warm weather 🌤️
Harvest outer leaves for a longer crop 🥬

Don't

Let the soil dry out; it triggers bolting ❌
Sow through the hottest part of summer ❌
Leave it standing once it starts to bolt ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Monitor
Water

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Vegetable bed and container growingEdible border edgingCut-and-come-again salad planting

Companion Plants

Radish Carrot Chives Strawberry Nasturtium

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Lettuce questions

What zones can Lettuce grow in?

Lettuce is hardy in USDA Zones 4–10. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Lettuce deer resistant?

Not reliably. Deer may browse Lettuce, especially tender spring growth — plan on repellents or fencing where pressure is high.

When does Lettuce bloom?

Lettuce typically blooms in summer through late summer. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Lettuce need full sun?

Lettuce does best in full sun to part shade. In hot climates, afternoon shade keeps blooms fresher longer.