Because lettuce is so popular, there are hundreds of varieties of each type of lettuce available in the garden centers and through mailorder and the Internet.

Good Source of Info On Lettuce Varieties
For excellent info on the best Lettuce varieties by state go to the vegetable variety data collection project at Cornell University - www.vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu. We urge you to join this valuable site and contribute your own ratings of varieties.

Some Popular Lettuce Varieties

‘Bibb’: A deliciously-flavored butterhead lettuce that produces small, loose heads filled with tender, buttery, green leaves. A 1.5 gram seed packet plants about 100 feet of row. Pick fresh about 57 days after sowing the seed in the garden.

‘Black Seeded Simpson’: This loose-leaf lettuce has light green, frilled leaves and delicate flavor. Vigorously growing plants can be harvested entire or picked for the leaves, beginning about 45 days after seeds are sown. A 1.8 gram seed packet plants about 150 feet of row.

‘Grand Rapids Tipburn Resistant’: This looseleaf type is good for warm season areas, because it resists “bolting”--it won’t go to seed as quickly as other types in hot weather. Attractive frilly green leaves are tender and sweet. Harvest this lettuce about 45 days after sowing seed. A 1.8 gram seed packet plants about 100 feet of row.

‘Great Lakes #118’: This is a crisphead type of lettuce similar to the familiar ‘Iceberg’ type sold in the supermarket. Heads are large, firm, crisp, and great for delicious salads. Lettuce is ready to cut about 82 days after sowing seed. A 1.5 gram seed packet plants about 125 feet of row.

‘Marvel of Four Seasons’: This butterhead lettuce produces brilliant green leaves tipped with deep red. The heads are firm, medium to large size. A 1 gram packet of seeds plants about 100 feet of row. Harvest this lettuce about 68 days after sowing seed.

‘Parris Island’: This Romaine lettuce is perfect for Caesar salads. Long leaves form upright, tallish heads packed with tender, deep green leaves with distinctive crisp white midribs. This variety stands up to warm weather, and it is more nutritious than iceberg lettuce types. A 1.5 gram seed packet plants about 80 feet of row, and is ready to harvest about 68 days after seeds are sown.

‘Redprize’: Leaves of this looseleaf lettuce are brilliant green, tipped with ruby red. Very attractive in salads, it is tender and sweet-flavored too. A 1.8 gram packet of seeds plants about 150 feet of row. It is a fast grower--ready to pick about 45 days after seeds are sown.

‘Salad Bowl’: This butterhead type lettuce is an All America Selections winner. Resistant to bolting, it produces crisp-tender, frilly apple-green leaves. A 1 gram seed packet plants about 80 feet of row. Pick fresh leaves about 50 days after seeds are sown.