VegetableLettuce
Prizehead Lettuce
Prizehead lettuce stands out in any garden with its dramatic loose leaves of bright green crowned with striking pinkish-maroon tips. This heirloom variety has been winning prizes for generations, living up to its confident name with exceptional contrast and color that surpasses other lettuces. Ready to harvest in just 40-49 days, it thrives across zones 2-10, forming attractive 5-10 inch tall mounds that spread 10 inches wide.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Consistent Moisture
Growth Stats
10 in
Height
10 in
Width
TypeSpreading
Spacing
8
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
—
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x 10in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
The sheer visual drama of Prizehead makes it as much an ornamental as an edible crop. Its large, crumpled and curled leaves create a textural masterpiece in the garden, while the pronounced pinkish tips provide color contrast that other varieties simply cannot match. This rapid-growing loose leaf type delivers both beauty and flavor, with a mildly sweet taste that makes every salad more interesting. Despite its grand name suggesting a heading type, this is actually a non-heading variety that forms stunning rosettes perfect for continuous harvest.
Common Uses
Prizehead excels as a salad lettuce where its mild sweetness and dramatic appearance can shine. The loose leaf structure makes it perfect for continuous harvest, allowing gardeners to pick individual leaves as needed while the plant continues producing. Its striking color contrast makes it particularly valued for mixed salads and as an edible garnish where visual impact matters as much as flavor.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost date for early spring harvest.
Direct Sow
Direct sow beginning about 4 weeks before last frost, continuing sowings until about 2 weeks before first fall frost. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep with one inch between seeds.
Harvesting
Harvest Prizehead lettuce 40-49 days after planting, though some sources suggest it's ready in as little as 40 days while others recommend waiting 50 days. Pick individual leaves as needed for continuous harvest, or cut the entire plant when it reaches mature size. For successive plantings, harvest late spring and summer sowings promptly to beat bolting in hot weather.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Lactuca sativa
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Growth Habit
Spreading
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“This heirloom lettuce has been winning prizes for generations, earning its confident name through consistent performance in gardens and competitions alike. While the specific origins aren't detailed, its status as a prize-winning heirloom suggests it was likely selected and preserved by gardeners who recognized its exceptional qualities of color, form, and flavor.”