How to Grow and Care for Lactuca

Prickly lettuce, in spite of its appearance, is the closest wild relative of cultivated lettuce. Even though it is widely considered a weed, it can be used in the kitchen. Young leaves of prickly lettuce are edible and the bitter milky latex can also be made into a condiment or to add flavor to salads. Consuming in large quantities could cause digestive upsets.

Garden lettuce (*Lactuca sativa*) is a hardy annual plant commonly cultivated as a leafy vegetable. The earliest evidence of its cultivation goes all the way back to Ancient Egypt. Its leaves are often used for making salads, and they are an excellent source of vitamins K and A.

Canada lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) is a species of wild lettuce native to eastern and central North America. It can thrive in a variety of natural environments, including moist to dry habitats. Canada lettuce flowers have a similar appearance to those of dandelions, so the plant is often written off as a simple lawn weed.

Wall lettuce (Lactuca muralis) is a lean and hairless herb that normally grows from 25 to 150 cm tall. With red-tinged leaves, it often has purplish stems and percolates a milky juice. The leaves are often used in mixed salads.

Tall blue lettuce (Lactuca biennis) is a species of wild lettuce. It is technically related to what we think of as lettuce, but that does not mean tall blue lettuce is edible. It grows across the United States and Canada, including in Alaska. It is a common weed that likes to grow on disturbed lands at the edges of human habitation.