Saturday, June 27, 2026

Lettuce Be Thankful - The Answer

 Here is the answer to my mystery plant of yesterday. It is called Prickly Lettuce. I have never heard of it and didn't know lettuce could be tall!!


·       Modern lettuce was domesticated from Prickly Lettuce thousands of years ago.

·       When cut, it releases a sap called white latex. This sap was used in folk medicine as a mild sedative.

·       The young leaves can be eaten, but are bitter.

·       It produces yellow flowers that look like dandelions.


14 comments:

DawnTreader said...

I don't think I got round to commenting y-day but I did think then that the leaves reminded me of dandelions.

Ann said...

Interesting. I don't think I would want to eat it if it tastes bitter. I remember my dad used to grow leaf lettuce in his garden and I never liked the taste of that either.

The Happy Whisk said...

Ginny, that is very cool to learn about the tall lettuce. I don't know if I've ever seen it in real life or not. Wishing you a fun new week. Whoosh went June.

🌺 Debby/From My Shasta Home said...

Interesting. And it just popped up? Are you going to add it to your salads?

CheerfulMonk said...

That is fascinating. I had never heard of it. ❤️

Asep Haryono said...

FYI, Leaf lettuce is an important part of many Indonesian cuisines, commonly served fresh with traditional dishes and spicy sambal. Its crisp texture and refreshing flavor perfectly complement a wide variety of meals

Martha Jane Orlando said...

I wouldn't have guessed that in a million years, Ginny. Have a beautiful Sunday!

Red Rose Alley said...

wow, lettuce! I would have never guessed that. And it's just growing wild in your yard? I bet the deer would love to munch on that. It's so neat to hear how this plant was used for medicine many years ago. Thanks for sharing some facts about it, interesting.

photowannabe said...

That's what was growing in our yard too. I didn't know the name but when you said that it had a white milky "latex' sap I said that's it. The sap makes the stem so difficult to pull up and to break. Gotta dig it out by its very strong roots.
Sue

HappyK said...

How interesting!!! I didn't know that.

Great-Granny Grandma said...

Who would have thought. I never knew lettuce grew so tall.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

I missed the challenge question, Ginny, Nd have not heard of this plant. I wonder if it will flower.

Chatty Crone said...

Fascinating Ginny, but I do not think I want to eat it!

DeniseinVA said...

Fascinating, I would never have guessed. Enjoyed learning about it Ginny. Thank you!

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