Lactuca perennis – perennial mountain lettuce – pack of 20 seeds
£4.99
SUPPLIED AS A PACK OF 20 SEEDS – SOW MARCH TO JULY
Lactuca perennis – perennial mountain lettuce, is a hardy ( to -25c) herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family with grey-green smooth leaves and very ornamental lilac-blue flowers with a similar appearance to chicory flowers only larger. Grown for its edible leaves. Surface sow from March to July in fine seed compost and then prick out seedlings when large enough to handle and transplant into pots of very well drained potting compost mixed with grit or horticultural sand to grow on. Plant out in a sunny spot in well drained soil. Growing plants in a greenhouse or polytunnel will produce larger, tender leaves. It is very easy to save your own seed from these plants. Plants will go completely dormant in winter and new growth will emerge in spring as long as plants are grown in suitable conditions.
23 in stock
Description
Lactuca perennis – perennial mountain lettuce is a hardy herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family with grey-green smooth leaves and very ornamental lilac-blue flowers with a similar appearance to chicory flowers only larger. Grown for its edible leaves. It is a fantastic plant for bees, you can see the flower heads bobbing up and down with all the insect activity in summer. It likes really well drained soil being native to rocky, dry areas especially calcareous soils in central and southern Europe. We have found that planting it in heavy or clay soil tends to rot the stems so make sure they are planted in a sunny and very well drained position. This wild lettuce contains lactucarium which has medicinal properties and so it is advisable to eat in small quantities either raw or cooked. Leaves can become bitter during the flowering period. Please consult a skilled practitioner for medicinal use of this plant. Plants will die back in the winter and re-emerge in the spring. Height 60 cm when flowering. The plants we have grown from this seed have a mild pleasant taste. Plant breeder Raphael Maier has posted content on facebook about his breeding project for this lettuce as there is a lot of variability in taste and appearance.
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