VegetableLettuce
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Butterhead Lettuce
Buttercrunch Lettuce is a classic butterhead variety that set the standard for its type and earned an All-America Selections award in 1963. Soft, buttery-textured outer leaves enclose a crisp, juicy inner head with sweet, blanched leaves that stay mild and tender far longer than most lettuce varieties. Ready to harvest in 60 to 70 days, it thrives across hardiness zones 2 to 10 and grows just 5 to 10 inches tall, making it equally at home in garden beds, containers, or square-foot gardens. Developed at Cornell University by George Raleigh, this heirloom variety earned its reputation by tolerating stress, poor soils, and summer heat better than competitors of its era.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/lettuce-butterhead-buttercrunch-organic-seeds)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Consistent Moisture
Preferred Temp60-70°F
Growth Stats
10 in
Height
PeriodAnnual
TypeRosette
Spacing
10-12 inches apart in rows spaced 12-18 inches
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Buttercrunch's real strength lies in its legendary heat tolerance and slowness to bolt. Long after other lettuces have turned bitter and begun flowering, Buttercrunch remains mild and tender, extending your harvest window by weeks. The contrast between soft outer leaves and crisp, juicy inner leaves creates a textural experience that makes it exceptional in salads. Its compact mound habit and ability to grow just 8 inches apart means you can pack multiple heads into tight spaces, and it germinates reliably in the 60 to 70 degree range that marks the best lettuce-growing season.
Common Uses
Buttercrunch is primarily grown for fresh salads, where its tender leaves and mild flavor make it a versatile base for any dressing or mix-in. The soft outer leaves are delicate enough to handle raw, while the crisp inner head provides textural contrast in composed salads. Home gardeners prize it for spring and fall harvests when temperatures align with its ideal 60 to 65 degree growing window, and it's become a staple in vegetable gardens precisely because it performs so reliably over a long season.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Not Applicable
First Harvest
45-55 Days After Sowing
Last Harvest
Continuous Throughout Season
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date. Germinate at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit; seeds will sprout in 7 to 10 days. Maintain consistent moisture and moderate light until seedlings are ready to harden off.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they have developed 2 to 3 true leaves and have been hardened off over several days. Spacing should be 8 inches apart for butterheads like Buttercrunch, though some sources recommend 10 to 16 inches for full-size head development. Transplant when soil temperature is workable and nighttime temperatures hover around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds as soon as soil can be worked in spring or 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost. Use row cover to improve germination and prevent soil crusting. Thin seedlings to 8 inches apart once they have formed 2 to 3 true leaves.
Harvesting
Harvest Buttercrunch by removing individual outer leaves once they reach full size, allowing the inner leaves to continue developing for extended picking. You can also cut the entire plant about 1 inch above the soil, which may produce additional smaller harvests from the remaining crown. Alternatively, remove the whole head once the loose inner heart feels firm and the outer leaves have darkened to a deeper green. Check plants daily for mature leaves, as lettuce eventually bolts and becomes bitter; Buttercrunch resists this better than most, but continued harvest of outer leaves helps delay bolting. Harvest in the cool morning hours when leaves are fully hydrated for the crispest texture.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
EdibleNative Species
Soil pH Range
6 – 7
Scientific Classification
Lactuca ×morssii B.L. Rob. (pro sp.)
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Growth Habit
Forb/herb
Native Status
L48 (N)
History & Origin
“Buttercrunch emerged from Cornell University in the early 1960s, developed by George Raleigh as an improvement on existing butterhead varieties. The variety made an immediate impact when it was designated an All-America Selections winner in 1963, a recognition that reflected its practical advantages for home and market gardeners alike. At a time when many lettuce varieties struggled with heat, bolting, and poor growing conditions, Buttercrunch offered something gardeners desperately wanted: reliability and longevity in the salad bowl. Its introduction marked a turning point in butterhead lettuce breeding, and it quickly became the benchmark against which other butterheads were measured. Decades later, seed savers and heirloom advocates recognized its enduring value and preserved it, ensuring that gardeners today can still grow the same variety that won hearts in 1963.”