Lettuce
Lactuca Sativa
Overview
Lactuca sativa, commonly known as lettuce, is an annual plant prized for its lush, edible leaves. Typically reaching 6 to 12 inches in height, this cool-season crop forms a rosette and thrives in full sun to partial shade. It requires well-drained soil and consistent moisture. Lettuce offers varied leaf shapes and colors, from green to deep red, adding both nutritional value and visual appeal to garden spaces.
Sun FullWater HighZones 5–9Type Vegetable
Culture
- Sun
- Full
- Water
- High
- USDA zones
- 5–9
Shape & size
Classification
- Type
- Vegetable
- Family
- Asteraceae
See full data, regional cultivation notes, and design tools. Build a client presentation around this plant.
Start your 14-day trialPhotos (71)
























Photographs by 8 contributors
- I would appreciate being notified if…, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
- Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · source
- Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 us · source
- Salicyna, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
- H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
- Salix, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Related plants

Shrub
African Bush Daisy
Euryops Chrysanthemoides
FullUSDA 9–11

Ground cover
African Daisy
Arctotis Hybrids
FullUSDA 8–10

Annual
African Daisy
Dimorphotheca Aurantiaca
FullUSDA 9–10

Perennial
Aloha Coneflower
Echinacea 'Aloha'
FullUSDA 3–9

Perennial
Alpine Aster
Aster Alpinus
FullUSDA 2–10

Perennial
Alpine Aster
Aster alpinus
FullUSDA 6–10