Find out which types of lettuce give you the most flavor and nutrition. There are five groups of lettuce categorized by head formation or leaf type. Each of these lettuce varieties offers a unique flavor and texture. Learn more about the. You dont need to be an expert in lettuces to appreciate the leafy greens. But there are many types of lettuces to know all with different shapes, siz. A Visual Guide to Salad Greens Get to know your mesclun mix. How To Eat 1200 Calories A Day on this page. Characteristics A type of head lettuce, the leaves of Boston and bibb lettuces are soft. Lettuce Lactuca sativa is an annual plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. There are dozens of lettuce varieties, and seven main types of lettuce looseleaf, butterhead, romaine cos, buttercrunch, Batavian, heading, and Chinese. Learn about the various types of lettuce and other leafy crops you can grow with plant picks and growing tips from HGTV Gardens. Venture beyond the four basic types of lettuce iceberg, butterhead, leaf, and romaine and explore your favorite salad ingredient. Types Of Lettuce' title='Types Of Lettuce' />Five Types of Lettuce to Grow In Your Garden. There are five general types or classifications of lettuce Butterhead, Crisphead, Looseleaf, Romaine, and Celtuce. There are five general types or classifications of lettuce Butterhead, Crisphead, Looseleaf, Romaine, and Celtuce. Butterhead and Crisphead types have crisp leaves that form compact hearts. Looseleaf and Romaine types grow best in cool weather and do not form significant hearts. Celtuce is a cross between celery and lettuce and is valued for its stem. Butterhead Lettuce Butterhead is a smooth, sweet tasting lettuce with a delicate, buttery texture. Butterhead varietieswhich are sometimes called cabbage lettuceform a small, loose, slightly flattened head that look something like an open rose. Butterheadwhich is also commonly called by its variety names such as Bibb, Boston, and Limestonehas broad, crumpled, succulent, pale green outer leaves and yellow to cream colored leaves at the center. Butterheads form heads as large as 7 inches 1. They are much easier to grow than crisphead lettucethe other main type of heading lettuce. Batavia type butternead cultivars have features between crisphead and butterhead plants. The best known varieties of butterhead lettuce are Buttercrunch is very tender Boston forms a medium large head of loosely arranged broad light green leaves Bibb has a smaller more compact head of short dark green leaves edged with dark red Limestone which is very similar to Bibb but is named for the limestone soil in Kentucky and Indiana where it grows best and Four Seasons Merveille Des Quatres Saisons has red outer leaves and pink and cream inner leaves. The botanical name for butterhead lettuce is Lactuca sativa var. Crisphead Lettuce Crisphead lettuce has a solid spherical head of tightly wrapped, pale green leaves that are crisp and succulent. Crispheads have a neutral, watery flavor. Crisphead lettuce is most commonly known as head lettuce or iceberg lettuce. The name iceberg was given to crisphead in the 1. California lettuce growers began shipping lettuce to far off markets in rail cars chilled with crushed ice. Crisphead lettuce has outer leaves that are dark green and inner leaves that are greenish white to white. Because crispheads consist of layers of tightly packed leaves, they are more tolerant of heat and keep longer than leaf lettuces. Varieties of crisphead include Great Lakes, the classic iceberg type lettuce, Ithaca, which is glossy green, frilled leaf improved iceberg, and Imperial with dark green heads. Batavian lettuce is a French type of crisphead that opens like a looseleaf lettuce but later develops a dense head at maturity. It is sweet and juicy without bitterness. The botanical name of crisphead lettuce is Lactuca sativa var. Looseleaf Lettuce Looseleaf lettuces form tight rosettes of individual leaves that are crisp and buttery flavored. Looseleaf do not form hearts or heads. There are many variations in the leaf size, leaf margins, color, and texture of looseleaf lettuces. Some leaves can be smooth, some curled, some ruffled, some crinkled, and some oak leaf shaped. Looseleafs can be yellow, green, red, reddish bronze, or purplish in color. Looseleaf varieties are often named for how they look green leaf, red leaf, oak leaf. Green Ice is light green and crispy. Red Sails has crinkly leaves edged with bright red. Black Seeded Simpson has extra large frilled leaves. Red Sails has heavy, ruffled leaves that are deep red bronze colored. Lollo Rosa has frilly magenta leaves with light green edges. Salad Bowl has wavy, light green, deeply lobed leaves. The botanical name for looseleaf lettuce is Lactuca sativa var. Romaine Lettuce Romaine lettuce has a large, upright, loaf shaped head with long narrow stiff leaves that look coarse but are crisp, tender, and sweet. Romaine lettuce outer leaves are dark green and 8 9 inches 2. The inner leaves are greenish yellow surrounding a succulent heart. Romaine lettuce has been cultivated for more than 5,0. It is sometimes called Cos lettucenamed for the Greek island of Kos Cos off the coast of Turkey where it is believe to have originated. Romaine varieties are very popular in the United States, southern Europe, and Mediterranean countries. Romaine lettuce was given its name by the ancient Romans and is the chief ingredient of Caesar salad. Common varieties of Romaine lettuce are Rouge DHiver with bronze to deep red, broad, flat leaves, Jericho with sword shaped leaves, and Paris White Cos. Romaine lettuce is usually planted for a fall crop because it does not produce heads during warm weather. In the late summer, Romaine leaves can be tied together to form elongated heads. The botanical name of Romaine lettuce is Lactuca sativa var. Celtuce Celtucealso known as stem lettuceis grown for its succulent, thick stem and tender leaves. The name celtuce is a combination of celery and lettuce. The flavor of celtuce is similar to celery or cucumber or zucchini or artichoke or a combination of the four. The stem of celtuce can be pared to remove its bitter skin leaving the soft translucent green core that can be finely sliced and eaten raw in a salad. Celtuce can also be sliced or shredded and stir fried with other vegetables, pork, chicken, or prawns. The stem of celtuce can grow about 1. There are soft green lettuce like leaves at the end. The young leaves of celtuce can be eaten raw in salads, but the leaves become tough, bitter, and inedible as they mature. Celtucewhich is sometimes called asparagus lettuce for its stalks resemblance to an asparagus spear is thought to have originated in China. Celtuce grown in China is sometimes pickled and eaten as a side dish. The botanical name of celtuce is Lactuca sativa var. Tips on growing lettuce at How to Grow Lettuce.