Which Lettuce Varieties should you Start With?

Why Start with Lettuce?

Lettuce is one of the most rewarding crops for beginner and experienced gardeners alike. It grows quickly, thrives in cooler weather, and can be harvested multiple times from the same plant. At Paramount Seeds, we know which varieties perform best — here are our recommendations proven by thousands of orders from growers just like you.

1. Butterhead Lettuce — Our #1 Category

Butterhead varieties dominate our best-seller list year after year. Their soft, tender leaves and mild, buttery flavor make them a favorite for professional growers, hobbyists and market growers alike.

• Rex F1 Butterhead Lettuce — One of the best-selling lettuce, Rex F1 delivers exceptional uniformity, strong disease tolerance, and beautiful head formation. If you're only going to try one variety, start here.
• Frank F1 Butterhead Lettuce — A consistent performer with great flavor and reliable yields, popular with both home and market growers.
• Flandria F1 Butterhead Lettuce — A classic butterhead with excellent texture and a loyal customer following.
• Fairly F1 Butterhead Lettuce — Known for its attractive appearance and dependable field performance.
• Casey F1 Butterhead Lettuce — A reliable hybrid with consistent sizing and strong market appeal.
• Natalia Butterhead Lettuce — A pelleted variety with excellent flavor and steady demand from our customers.

2. Batavia Lettuce — Our Most-Ordered Variety

Batavia types offer crisp texture with excellent heat tolerance, making them a go-to for summer growing.

• Muir Greenleaf Lettuce (Batavia) — Its outstanding heat tolerance and satisfying crunch make it a customer favorite season after season.

Best for: Warm-season growing and gardeners in hotter climates.

3. Romaine (Cos) Lettuce

Romaine varieties produce tall, upright heads with crisp, sturdy leaves and a slightly stronger flavor. Our top sellers:

• Tacitus F1 Romaine Lettuce — Tacitus F1 produces well-formed heads with excellent bolt resistance and field performance.
• Rabello F1 Romaine Lettuce — A reliable hybrid with strong vigor and consistent sizing across harvests.
• Elizium F1 Romaine Lettuce — A dependable pelleted variety with great uniformity and upright growth habit.
• Gladius F1 Romaine Lettuce — A proven performer suited for a wide range of growing conditions.

Best for: Caesar salads, grilling, and warmer climates.

4. Multileaf Lettuce

Multileaf varieties are highly productive and perfect for cut-and-come-again harvesting.

• Crispenza F1 Multileaf Lettuce — A top-selling multileaf with outstanding crispness and fast regrowth after cutting.
• Danstar F1 Multileaf Lettuce — A premium multileaf variety with excellent shelf life and strong disease resistance.

Best for: Market growers, high-density planting, and repeated harvests.

5. Oakleaf Lettuce

Oakleaf varieties add beautiful texture and color to any salad mix and have built a strong following among our customers.

• Rouxai F1 Oakleaf Lettuce — A top-selling oakleaf with attractive lobed leaves and excellent flavor.
• Bughatti F1 Oakleaf Lettuce — A vigorous variety with strong field performance and consistent customer demand.
• Kiribati F1 Oakleaf Lettuce — A reliable pelleted oakleaf with great visual appeal for salad mixes.

Best for: Salad mixes, specialty markets, and decorative garden beds.

6. Lollo Lettuce

Lollo varieties — both Rossa (red) and Bionda (green) — are prized for their frilly, decorative leaves and strong market appeal.

• Carmesi F1 Lollo Rossa Lettuce — Our top-selling lollo variety with vibrant red color and excellent field performance.
• Revolution F1 Lollo Rossa Lettuce — A bold red lollo with strong visual impact and consistent customer demand.
• Granite F1 Lollo Bionda Lettuce — A crisp, green lollo variety with great visual appeal for premium salad mixes.

Best for: Specialty markets, premium salad mixes, and decorative plantings.

7. Crystal or "Ice" Lettuce

Crystal lettuce is a specialty type with a unique glossy appearance, popular with hydroponic and protected-environment growers.

• Lalique F1 Crystal Lettuce — One of the best crystal varieties, with excellent visual appeal and strong field performance.
• Hydrolique F1 Crystal Lettuce — A high-performing crystal variety well-suited for hydroponic and protected-environment production.
• Scamander F1 Crystal Lettuce — A reliable crystal (red) type with strong uniformity and excellent market appeal.

Best for: Hydroponic growers, specialty markets, and premium salad mixes.

Tips for Growing Lettuce Successfully

• Plant in cool weather: Lettuce prefers temperatures between 45–65°F. Sow seeds in early spring or fall.
• Keep soil moist: Lettuce has shallow roots and needs consistent moisture.
• Provide partial shade in summer: Too much heat causes bolting, which makes leaves bitter.
• Harvest in the morning: Leaves are crispest early in the day.
• Succession plant: Sow new seeds every 2–3 weeks for a continuous harvest.

Ready to Grow?

Start with our best-selling Rex F1 Butterhead or the crowd-favorite Muir Greenleaf (Batavia) for a proven first harvest, then explore our romaine, multileaf, lollo, and crystal selections as your confidence grows. Shop our full lettuce collection at paramountseeds.com.