Garden Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
- Native to:
- Guam, Iraq, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
en:User:Geographer (en.wikipedia.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Asteraceae
- Genus:
- Lactuca
- Species:
- Lactuca sativa
- USDA Symbol:
- LASA3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★★☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), Celery Looper (Anagrapha falcifera), Cerastis tenebrifera, clandestine dart (Spaelotis clandestina), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Echo Moth (Seirarctia echo), Euxoa laetificans, Euxoa tessellata, Frosted wave (Scopula cacuminaria), Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja), glassy cutworm (Apamea devastator), Grammia doris, Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), Lobed Looper Moth (Megalographa biloba), Notarctia proxima, nutmeg (Discestra trifolii), Old Man Dart (Agrotis vetusta), Ornate Tiger Moth (Grammia ornata), rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Rotruda mucidella, Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Semiothisa ulsterata, Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), Spotted Straw Moth (Heliothis phloxiphaga), Streaked Salt Marsh Moth (Platarctia parthenos), The Veiled Bird Dropping Moth (Condica vecors), tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta), underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virgin Tiger Moth (Grammia virgo), Walker’s Atlas Moth (Samia walkeri), White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata), Yellow-headed Cutworm (Apamea amputatrix), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, pollinators
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- thrives in fertile, organic-rich soils
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 2–10 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination and prefer cool temperatures (60-68°F). High temperatures above 80°F can induce thermodormancy.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI