Lactuca virosa 'Great Lettuce'

[Ex. North Yorkshire, England]

Asteraceae: similar to the prickly lettuce but taller, to 2m or more. Stems are often tinged purple, and exude a milky sap when broken. The yellow flowers are up to 11mm across, in open, branched inflorescences, flowering from July-September. The seeds are blackish maroon, with unbranched pappus hairs. The leaves are dark green, spreading, with rounded, clasping bases. The lower leaves may have broad lobes. Common only in the South and East England. 

USES:

The young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, and can be used in mixed salads.

The whole plant is rich in a milky sap that flows freely from any wounds. This hardens and dries when in contact with the air. The sap contains 'lactucarium', which is used in medicine for its anodyne, antispasmodic, digestive, diuretic, hypnotic, and sedative properties.

GROWING INFORMATION:

Prefers a light sandy well-drained loamy soil, and a sunny position. The wild lettuce is cultivated as a medicinal plant in many areas of Europe. Surface sow any time of the year. Germination is usually fairly quick, plants are biennial, growing leaves in the first year and flowering in the second.

THIS IS THE TRUE LACTUCA VIROSA!

HARVESTED: 2023

 
APPROX. 45+ SEEDS