35 Lettuce Varieties: A Gardener’s Guide to Unique Greens

Lettuce may seem simple, but beneath its everyday reputation lies a diverse world of shapes, flavors, colors, and histories. From the crispness of iceberg to the buttery softness of bibb, lettuce remains a staple in gardens and kitchens around the globe. In this comprehensive guide, discover 35 different types of lettuce you can grow, categorized by type and packed with information to help you select the best varieties for your garden.

Table of Contents

• Types of Lettuce
• Favorite Lettuce Varieties
• Mid-Season Varieties & Heat Tolerance
• Specialty & Unique Lettuces
• Tips for Growing Lettuce
• Frequently Asked Questions

Types of Lettuce

Lettuce varieties fall into several primary categories, each offering unique textures, appearances, and uses:

• Butterhead (Boston/Bibb): Soft, tender leaves with a mild, buttery flavor—often used as wraps or in delicate salads.
• Crisphead (Iceberg): Known for crisp, crunchy heads and a mild taste; classic for burgers and wedge salads.
• Romaine (Cos): Upright heads with crisp ribs; famous for Caesar salads and robust sandwiches.
• Leaf Lettuce: Loosely gathered, frilly leaves in green, red, or bronze shades; often harvested as baby greens or added to mesclun mixes.
• Summer Crisp (Batavia): Intermediate between crisphead and leaf, these lettuces form loose, sweet, and crunchy heads, good for warmer conditions.
• Specialty/Mesclun: Unique shapes and colors, or blended mixes harvested young for salads with complex flavors and textures.

Favorite Lettuce Varieties

Below are standout varieties from each main lettuce type, celebrated for their garden performance, flavor, or beauty.

Butterhead/Bibb Varieties

• Buttercrunch: Soft, tender, mildly sweet leaves form small, compact heads. Renowned for its buttery texture and bolt resistance, making it a go-to for gardeners and cooks alike.
• Bibb: Classic Boston or Bibb varieties offer lush, green, tender heads perfect for salads or lettuce wraps.
• Marvel of Four Seasons: Beautiful red-tinged butterhead, thrives in many climates and retains its buttery leaf no matter the weather.
• Tom Thumb: Miniature, fast-growing heads—ideal for small spaces or individual servings.

Crisphead Varieties

• Iceberg: The quintessential crunchy lettuce, with tight, pale-green heads and a mild, refreshing taste. Great for sandwiches and wedges.
• Great Lakes 118: Popular for its large, crisp, and resilient heads well-suited to traditional salads.
• Ice Queen: Noted for its crisp texture and heat resistance, making it a top performer even in summer gardens.

Romaine/Cos Varieties

• Paris Island Cos: Tall, crisp, and slightly sweet, this variety delivers robust heads with great disease resistance.
• Little Gem: Miniature, compact romaine with remarkable flavor and crunch—ideal for small-space gardening or single-serve salads.
• Rouge d’Hiver: Red-tinted romaine, highly ornamental and flavorful with excellent cold tolerance.

Leaf Lettuce Varieties

• Ezrilla: Green, frilled leaves with creamy to slightly spicy flavors. Compact, slow to bolt, and highly productive—perfect for frequent harvesting.
• Red Sails: Green and burgundy crinkled leaves with heat tolerance and a crispy bite. Excellent for baby leaf harvests or mature heads.
• Tropicana: Bright green, heavily curled leaves form massive heads. This variety is heat-tolerant, slow to bolt, and holds up well post-harvest.
• Salad Bowl: Available in both green and red leaf types, featuring deeply lobed, tender leaves. Consistently productive and slow to bolt.
• Ruby Red: Stunning deep red, ruffled leaves with a mildly bitter, refreshing taste and attractive appearance in salads.
• Grand Rapids: Thrives in cool climates, offering wavy-edged, crisp leaves perfect for cut-and-come-again harvests.

Summer Crisp/Batavia Varieties

• Magenta: Deep red Batavia with sweet, crisp leaves—a visual and culinary delight in mid-summer gardens.
• Nevada: Heat- and drought-tolerant heads with exceptional flavor and texture, perfect for summer salads.

Mid-Season Varieties & Heat Tolerance

Some lettuce varieties are bred for resilience, thriving as temperatures rise in late spring and early summer. Look for these when you want greens that won’t bolt or turn bitter at the first sign of heat:

• Azirka: A red crunchleaf variety with dense, dark purple, spiky leaves. Sweet and juicy, slow to bolt, and does not become bitter—perfect for hot summers.
• Tropicana: Broad, curled heads with heavy, sturdy leaves. Holds up to heat and harvest, making it a favorite for both gardeners and chefs.
• Jericho: Romaine bred in the Israeli desert, famous for its heat resistance and crisp, upright growth—excellent for summer Caesar salads.
• Summertime: Crisphead variety developed for hot climates, staying crunchy and mild even during warm periods.
• Buttercrunch (again): Not just a favorite for texture, but also for its resistance to bolting and tip burn in warm weather.

Specialty & Unique Lettuces

Dive deeper into the lettuce world with cultivars and mixes that bring unusual flavors, shapes, or histories to your table:

• Mesclun Mixes: Not a single variety, but a blend of baby greens, often including several lettuce types along with arugula, chicories, and other salad greens. Quick-growing and bursting with diversity.
• Freckles (Forellenschluss): Austrian heirloom romaine, green with red speckles—visually striking and great for gourmet salads.
• Black Seeded Simpson: A time-tested green leaf type, famous for its tenderness, quick harvest, and adaptability.
• Lollo Rossa: Frilly, deeply curled red leaves, mild but flavorful, and a standout in salad mixes or as plate garnishes.
• Oakleaf Types: Both green and red, these varieties have deeply lobed leaves reminiscent of oak leaves and a mild, nutty flavor.
• Speckled Amish: Green butterhead with red splashes throughout the leaves—unique and flavorful, with a history tied to Amish gardens.
• Crispino: Crisp, compact iceberg with improved disease resistance; good for home gardeners who want classic crunch with modern resilience.

Tips for Growing Lettuce

• Soil & Sun: Lettuce prefers loose, well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Most varieties thrive in full sun to partial shade.
• Seed Starting: Sow seeds directly outdoors several weeks before last frost, or start indoors and transplant. Space depends on the variety, but most lettuces prefer to be thinned for airflow.
• Moisture: Keep soils evenly moist, but avoid waterlogged conditions. Mulch can help retain moisture during hot spells.
• Harvest: Leaf types can be harvested as baby greens or mature plants; head types are picked whole when firm. For repeat harvests, trim outer leaves and allow new growth to develop.
• Bolt Resistance: Select heat-tolerant cultivars and shade plants during hot weather to prevent premature bolting and bitterness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest type of lettuce to grow for beginners?

Leaf lettuces, such as Black Seeded Simpson, Ezrilla, or Salad Bowl, are the easiest. They mature quickly, are forgiving of small mistakes, and can be harvested over a long period.

Which varieties are best for summer heat?

Heat-tolerant picks include Tropicana, Jericho, Nevada, Buttercrunch, and Azirka. These varieties are slow to bolt and resist bitterness even as temperatures climb.

How do I prevent lettuce from becoming bitter?

Choose bolt-resistant varieties, keep plants evenly watered, and harvest before flowering. Using shade cloth during heat waves can also help.

Can I grow lettuce indoors?

Yes! Lettuce adapts well to containers or hydroponic setups indoors. Provide ample light and don’t let soil dry out completely.

What’s the difference between mesclun and loose-leaf lettuce?

Mesclun is a mix of young leaves—often including several lettuce varieties and non-lettuce greens—while loose-leaf lettuce refers to single varieties with leaves that don’t form a head.

Conclusion

With over 35 varieties to choose from, lettuce is anything but boring. Whether you grow for flavor, beauty, or resilience, there is a perfect fit for every gardener. Mix and match varieties throughout the growing season for diverse textures, colors, and harvest times. From classic romaine and butterhead to the far-out freckles and Batavia, let your garden—and dinner plate—come alive with lettuce’s bounty!

Author

Anjali Sayee

 

Anjali is an Associate Editor at StyleCraze with 7 years of experience specializing in hairstyles, hair care, and skin care. She has authored over 300 articles and offers expert advice on hair styling techniques, effective skin care routines, and tips for maintaining healthy hair and skin.

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