Crystal lettuce — also known as ice lettuce — has become a very popular addition to our selections for greenhouse and plant factory production. Its jewel-like, translucent leaf cells, crisp texture, and quality make it a premium product for fresh market, foodservice, and processing channels.
At Paramount Seeds, we carry four Rijk Zwaan crystal lettuce varieties suited to a range of production systems, light environments, and market destinations. Here's how they compare.
The Paramount Seeds Crystal Lettuce Lineup
1. Lalique F1 — The Year-Round Workhorse
SKU: RZLALI | Type: Green crystal | System: Hydroponic, indoor & outdoor
Lalique F1 is our most versatile crystal lettuce — exceptionally crisp, juicy, and disease-resistant, with reliable performance across seasons. Its untreated, pelleted seed supports consistent germination in both indoor and outdoor setups. Flavor and texture are standout: ideal for premium salads, burgers, and sandwiches where presentation matters.
Year-round hydroponic production
Strong disease resistance
Excellent fresh market and foodservice appeal
Shop Lalique F1 →
2. Hydrolique F1 — Built for High-Density & Artificial Light
SKU: RZHYDROL | Type: Green crystal | System: Indoor, artificial lighting
Hydrolique F1 is engineered for vigorous, high-yield performance under artificial lighting — making it a natural fit for plant factories and year-round indoor operations. It shows strong resistance to glassiness and tipburn, two of the most common quality defects in enclosed lettuce production, and performs well at high planting densities.
Optimized for LED and HPS supplemental lighting environments
Tipburn and glassiness resistance
High-density planting compatible
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3. Scamander F1 — Intense Red, High-Density & Machine-Harvestable
SKU: RZSCAMDR | Type: Intense quadruple red crystal | System: Indoor hydroponics, plant factory
Scamander F1 is the red crystal specialist in our lineup — delivering intense, dark red color even under low-light conditions. Bred for high-density cultivation (toddler, teenleaf, and salatrio formats), it features smooth, crispy leaves that are easy to handle and machine-harvestable, making it well-suited for processing and fresh market operations at volume.
Intense red color stable in low light
High-density formats: toddler, teenleaf, salatrio
Machine-harvestable
35–50 day crop cycle | ~200 g average head weight
Shop Scamander F1 →
4. Sungari F1 — Red Crystal for Seasonal & Plant Factory Production
SKU: RZ44CL5535 | Type: Red crystal | System: Hydroponics, plant factory, outdoor
Sungari F1 is an attractive red crystal lettuce with broad production flexibility. It performs from September through April under artificial light in standard hydroponic systems, and is suitable year-round in Salatrio format or in plant factories. Outdoor production is also viable from late spring through summer. A compact variety at ~150 g average head weight, Sungari is a strong option for growers who need seasonal flexibility across multiple production environments.
Red crystal — attractive color for fresh market
Flexible: hydroponics, plant factory, outdoor
Year-round in Salatrio and plant factory formats
~150 g average head | ~40 days to maturity
Shop Sungari F1 →
Quick Comparison: Which Variety Is Right for You?
Variety
Color
Best System
Key Strength
Lalique F1
Green
Hydroponic, indoor/outdoor
Year-round versatility & flavor
Hydrolique F1
Green
Indoor, artificial light
Tipburn & glassiness resistance
Scamander F1
Intense red
Plant factory, processing
Machine-harvestable, high-density
Sungari F1
Red
Hydroponic, plant factory, outdoor
Seasonal & system flexibility
Need Help Choosing?
The right crystal lettuce variety depends on your production system, light environment, target market, and harvest format. If you're running a plant factory or high-density indoor system, Scamander or Hydrolique are strong starting points. For year-round fresh market production with maximum flexibility, Lalique is hard to beat. And for seasonal flexibility across multiple environments, Sungari is worth a trial.
For a broader look at lettuce variety selection, see our guide to choosing your first lettuce varieties. You may also find our lettuce disease identification guide and tipburn guide useful for managing crop health across any of these varieties.
Browse All Lettuce Varieties → Contact Our Team →