Plants ordered now will begin shipping mid to late October. First come first served.
Lettuce, Wild (Wild Lettuce) (Lactuca virosa), potted plant, organic
$8.50 – $57.00
Family: Aster (Asteracea)
Hardy to Zones 5 to 9, readily grown as a spring-planted annual
(Lettuce Opium, Wild Lettuce, Bitter Lettuce) Overwintering annual or biennial. Native to Central and Southern Europe. Young plants of giant wild lettuce are a good ingredient for heroic salads. I eat the leaves freely in the early spring. This is the most cold hardy of all lettuces, in the right circumstances producing very reasonable salads midwinter, which is before the plant goes tough and bitter. Lactuca virosa is a preferred wild species from Europe–highest latex content, nutrient dense, good winter salad, bright purple-black seeds, much less spiny than the weedy types (e.g Lactuca spinosa), which we do not carry. Traditional usage (TWM): Sedative, pain-relieving, antispasmodic, digestive bitter, euphoric used to treat insomnia, restlessness, bodily pain, painful menses, digestive woes. Source of lactucarium, the white latex that contains alkaloids (Lactulin) and sesquiterpene lactones. Transplant or thin to 6 inches apart. Flowers yellow to 6 feet.
Potted plant, certified organically grown
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Question
Chrissy b –
How big are the wild lettuce plants? When will you have the 1,000 seeds available?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Chrissy, Thanks for contacting! I was at the downtown greenhouse a few days back and saw these shipping out. They are not new seedlings, they are overwintered plants from last year. they should ship well and size up fast. I do have a field planting of these destined for seed production and will happily enable grams as soon as we have sufficient stock–should be around August or so. Richo
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Question
Jane –
Is this plant hardy enough to regrow if I cut off leaves? Or do I have to replant new Seeds? Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Jane, Thanks for contacting! Like any lettuce, you can harvest the outer leaves while leaving the innermost leaves to develop and produce more leaves of good size for harvest. Lettuce is monocarpic in that once the plant goes up to flower and makes seeds, it dies. Usually it drops enough seeds in the process so that you don’t have to intentionally plant it again. I think you’d enjoy our youtube on the subject–you can paste this into a browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk
Richo
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Question
Joe Pulford –
I live near Olympia, WA. I have questions about the right time to plant seeds here, quantities, and any suggestions re this region. Thank you
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Richo Cech –
Hi Joe, Thanks for getting in touch. Wild lettuce is going to act like a biennial or overwintering annual in Olympia. One plants the seeds now, overwinters the rosette, it grows slowly through the winter, and it goes to flower around midsummer of the following year, which is also the best time to make the harvest. Actually you can eat the leaves as a winter salad ingredient as well, they are good that way. Many people will confuse this plant with the local prickly lettuce. it is better eating because it is NOT prickly. richo
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Question
Christine Lanfair –
Please confirm these plants will have running sap not dry sap.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Christine,
Yes, the sap (lactucarium) runs through the plant and dries only when the plant is harvested and dried, or if the top is severed and the exudation allowed to dry in the sun. Check this youtube for clarification: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk&t=25s
richo
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Question
Donna Pandori (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, I’m from northern Indiana.
1. I Purchased 3 of the Lactuca virosa in early spring. Have them outside in pots but they grew only a few inches high with some additional leaf growth. Did I fail by not transplanting directly into ground? How tall does this variety get?
2. I read wild lettuce is a Biennial, will not flower first year but will the next. What’s the bes way to keep a yearly patch viable for harvesting?
Thank you.
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Richo Cech –
hi donna, right, they might have made bigger plants with more resources (planted in ground). Anyhow, best to harvest in second year when the plant goes to flower–more biomass and lactucarium at that time. you harvest at the peak and make the medicine–thats the way to keep it. richo
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Question
Eimi (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, for central Texas, should I put this wild lettuce in part shade/dabbled sun? I wonder how well it does in our summer heat… Thank you for your advice in advance!
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Richo Cech –
hello eimi, my hope is that since we’ve been growing these outdoors in pots for 6 months through the winter that when you plant it in texas it will get big and go to flower. Give it a rich soil, keep it moist and yes, dappled sun is probably prudent. richo
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Question
Alana Sereno (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, if I plant this in my yard will is self seed for growth next year? I’m in NJ.
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Richo Cech –
hi alana, yes the wild lettuce is a pretty dependable self-seeder. r
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Question
Stephen Kenoyer –
I want to buy different plants you sell, but I noticed that they will be sent October. I was wanting buy and receive the plants in the the spring. Can I do that?
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Richo Cech –
hi stephen, yes, you can visit us after Jan 1 and place your plant order then, for spring delivery. A good reason to wait is, we will be listing a wider selection at that time. richo
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Question
Pam –
will the seeds work the same as a grown plant
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Richo Cech –
Hi Pam, The seeds are not in and of themselves a medicinal agent. The seeds may be used to grow the plant that contains the lactucarium. Many people are having good results with the seeds at this time, due to nice cool soils warming into spring. it is a good time to plant them outside. Richo
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Tracy –
I want to order a plant but if it doesn’t come till early June will it still be ok to keep potted and put outside or in my green house?
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Richo Cech –
Tracy, Yes, the plants are already started so it’ll be growing more here, then there. richo
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Jennifer Hall –
Hello, Will this potted plant survive in Florida?
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Richo Cech –
yes, its probably a good idea for you to buy this as a plant. the seeds are hard to start in warm soils but the plant grows fine in warm soils. richo
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Question
Shannon –
My wild lettuce is growing so well in my garden. This spring it is getting very large and the leaves are not starting to turn bitter. It is my understanding that you can tincture the plant? Is there a resource you would recommend on what part of the plant and how? Do I use the whole plant? Do I have to wilt it first? I have a couple of your books but can’t seem to find a recipe for this particular plant. Thank you for providing such lovely medicinal seeds and plants. I don’t know how to use the picture function or I would show you how happy the plant is amongst my comfrey, yarrow, and lemon balm.
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Shannon, “You extract the lactucarium or you dry the leaves and make a tea or tincture according to the basic formulae given in “Making Plant Medicine.” Here’s the youtube I made on the subject, will answer your questions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk&t=204s
richo
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