Celtuce

(Lactuca sativa var. augustana)

Also known as Timor lettuce, stem lettuce, celery lettuce and asparagus lettuce, celtuce is a an excellent hot weather lettuce. The young leaves are used in salads, whilst the older leaves can be stir-fried. Celtuce is typically grown for its stem - which is used like a vegetable in Chinese cooking but I’ll admit I haven’t really embraced that side of it. I’m happy with the leaves.

I harvest leaves from my plant until they start to go to seed (by which stage they are quite tall!). The flowers it produces, like all lettuces, are dainty little yellow daisy like flowers and I think they’re beautiful. They open during the day and close up at night and then turn into puff balls of seeds. Left to self seed you will always have celtuce in your garden somewhere. If they pop up in the wrong spot, they transplant easily while young.

full sun, well watered, up to 1m tall