Butterhead Lettuce Varieties from Paramount Seeds: A Grower's Guide

Butterhead lettuce is one of the most consistently popular crops in greenhouse and hydroponic production — prized by growers for its fast maturity, high plant density potential, and by consumers for its soft, tender leaves and mild flavor. At Paramount Seeds, we carry a broad range of butterhead varieties suited to every season, growing system, and market.

Here's a guide to our most popular butterhead varieties, based on grower demand, organized from our top sellers down.

Our Most Popular Butterhead Varieties

1. Rex F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Rex is one of the best-selling butterhead varieties — and one of the most popular butterhead lettuces in production today. A thick-leaved summer type that's often used year-round, Rex delivers excellent quality with slow bolting and very strong tip burn resistance. Its well-closed base, non-brittle leaves, and easy cutting make it a favorite for both greenhouse and hydroponic operations. Resistant to Bremia BL 1-12, 17, 18, 22. Supplied as untreated pelleted seed as standard.

2. Frank F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Frank is a compact long-day butterhead for spring, summer, and autumn production under glass. It produces a great-shaped, well-filled head with a good balance of outer leaves and excellent weight. Suitable for both soil and hydroponic production, Frank has a high disease resistance level (Bl: 1-26, 28-30; Nr: 0) with good tip burn and bolting resistance. Medium green color. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

3. Flandria F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Flandria is a standard glasshouse butterhead for spring through autumn production. Slow bolting with strong tip burn resistance and a well-closed base, it's a reliable workhorse variety that growers return to season after season. Resistant to BL 1-17, 21, 23. Its smaller frame allows for higher plant populations and faster maturity compared to field varieties. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

4. Fairly F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Fairly is a greenhouse butterhead for the long-day season. Fast growing with excellent head weight, it features a closed, flat base that makes it easy to clean at harvest — a practical advantage at scale. Large frame, fine ribs, and a fresh medium green color. High resistance to Bl: 16-33EU / 1-8US / Nr: 0. Best suited to unheated greenhouse production. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

5. Casey F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Casey is a medium-fast maturing butterhead for indoor production under long daylength. It yields jumbo-sized heads with excellent weight, a flat clean closed base, and a full disease resistance package (HR Bl-EU: 16-37 / Bl-US: 1-9 / Nr: 0 / Pb). Strong roots and good heat tolerance make Casey an excellent choice for summer production. Suitable for heated greenhouse and hydroponic systems. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

6. Natalia Butterhead Lettuce

Natalia RZ is a large butterhead with medium-thick leaves in a blonde to mid-green color. Strong against tip burn and bolting with a clean, well-shaped base. Resistant to HR Bl: 1-26 / Pb. A solid, dependable variety for growers who want consistent large-frame heads. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

7. Alexandria F1 Butterhead Lettuce

Alexandria is a newer summer butterhead for indoor cultivation, with good size and performance as an easy long-day variety. Very strong against tip burn and bolting, and very easy to cut. Can be grown on NFT, in soil, or in floating production systems — making it one of the most versatile varieties in our lineup. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

8. Gilmore F1 Red Butterhead Lettuce (Red Variety)

Gilmore is our leading red butterhead — a ruby-colored variety with brilliant green contrast towards the core, great texture, and slow bolting. Highly attractive and suitable for both processor and carton markets. Resistant to HR Bl: 1-26 / Nr: 0, IR LMV. An excellent choice for growers looking to add visual variety and premium appeal to their lettuce lineup. Untreated pelleted seed as standard.

Key Features Across Our Butterhead Range

All of our butterhead varieties share several important characteristics that make them well-suited to modern greenhouse and hydroponic production:

• Pelleted seed as standard — all varieties are supplied as pelleted seed for easy, precise sowing with mechanical seeders
• Untreated seed — all varieties listed here are supplied as untreated seed, compatible with organic production systems (verify with your certifier)
• Smaller frame than field varieties — purpose-bred for greenhouse use, allowing higher plant populations and faster maturity
• Strong disease resistance — all varieties carry resistance to Bremia (downy mildew), the primary disease concern in butterhead lettuce production

Choosing the Right Variety for Your Operation

With so many strong options, the right choice depends on your growing system, season, and target market:

• Best all-rounder / year-round: Rex F1
• Best for spring/summer/autumn under glass: Frank F1 or Flandria F1
• Best for long-day / summer production: Fairly F1 or Casey F1
• Best for hydroponic / NFT systems: Casey F1 or Alexandria F1
• Best for premium / specialty markets: Gilmore F1 Red

Browse our full butterhead lettuce seed collection to compare varieties, view full technical data sheets, and order in pack sizes from small trial quantities to commercial bulk.