Lettuce, at a glance
~4,500
years humans have cultivated lettuce, from ancient Egypt onward
95%
of a lettuce leaf is water — nature's crunchiest hydration
6
broad families: crisphead, butterhead, romaine, leaf, stem & oilseed
2
weeks is all many leaf varieties need before the first harvest
The Collection
Explore lettuce varieties
Search, filter by type, and tap the heart to save favourites. Your favourites are remembered for everyone who visits.
Good to know
Nourishment & kitchen wisdom
- Rich in water and fibre, lettuce is gentle on digestion and wonderfully hydrating.
- Darker leaves (romaine, red-leaf) carry more vitamins A and K than pale crispheads.
- Folate in the leaves supports healthy cells — a quiet gift in every salad.
- Very low in calories, so it stretches a meal generously and kindly.
- Crisphead and romaine hold up to warm dressings, grilling and Caesar salads.
- Butterhead's soft leaves make elegant wraps and cups for fillings.
- Loose-leaf types shine raw — dress them just before serving so they stay perky.
- Tear leaves by hand rather than cutting to keep the edges from browning.
- Wash, spin dry, then wrap loosely in a clean towel inside a container.
- Store in the fridge's crisper drawer, away from apples and bananas (their ethylene wilts leaves).
- Revive a limp head by soaking torn leaves in ice water for 15 minutes.
- Most lettuce keeps its best crunch for 5–7 days when stored dry and cool.
- Myth: "Lettuce has no nutrition." Truth: darker leaves are full of vitamins A and K.
- Myth: "All lettuce tastes the same." Truth: flavours range from sweet butterhead to peppery leaf types.
- Myth: "You can't grow it indoors." Truth: leaf lettuce thrives on a bright windowsill.
- Myth: "Bolted lettuce is ruined." Truth: it turns bitter, but the seeds it makes will feed next season.
Get planting
Plan your harvest
Pick a type and a sowing date — we'll estimate when your leaves will be ready to pick.
Your almanac
Tasting & growing notes
Jot down how a variety tasted, how your crop grew, or a dressing you loved. Notes are saved to the cloud and shared with fellow leaf-lovers who visit.
Behind the leaves
How it works
- Explore & search: browse the variety collection, filter by type, or search by name and flavour to find your leaf.
- Save favourites: tap the heart on any variety — your picks are stored in the app's cloud and remembered on every visit.
- Plan a planting: choose a type and sowing date, and the harvest planner estimates when to pick.
- Keep notes: record tasting and growing notes; they're saved permanently and shared with everyone who opens the almanac.
- Learn: the nutrition, kitchen and storage tabs share honest, practical wisdom — no fear, just love for good food.