Rouge D'Hiver Lettuce is a French heirloom romaine from the 1800s that has earned its place in gardens for over a century with its rich, buttery flavor and striking appearance. The compact heads reach 12 inches tall, wrapped in bronze-red outer leaves that frame a tender green heart, and they mature in just 50-60 days. Cold-hardy enough for zones 2-10, this variety thrives in fall plantings and resists the tip burn that plagues many lettuces in cool weather. Its name, meaning 'Red Winter' in French, perfectly captures its ability to handle frost and deliver crisp, flavorful leaves when other greens fade.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Consistent Moisture
Preferred Temp60-75°F
Growth Stats
10 in
Height
—
Width
4 in
Spacing
50–55
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
—
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The bronze-red foliage of Rouge D'Hiver isn't just beautiful; it signals exceptional cold tolerance and tip burn resistance, making it one of the most reliable choices for fall and winter harvests. The buttery richness of the leaves sets it apart from lighter lettuces, creating salads with genuine depth of flavor rather than mere crunch. A true heirloom that has survived generations not because of marketing, but because gardeners keep replanting it.
Common Uses
This romaine lettuce works beautifully in salads where its buttery, tender leaves and rich flavor can shine without heavy dressings. The firm heart provides good structure for composed salads, while the tender inner leaves offer a silky mouthfeel that justifies eating this lettuce simply, with just oil and vinegar.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Does Not Bloom
First Harvest
30-40 Days After Sowing
Last Harvest
50-60 Days After Sowing
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost, keeping soil at 60-70°F. Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off, spacing 4 inches apart once soil is workable.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days, then transplant to garden soil once the danger of hard frost has passed. Space plants 4 inches apart in rows 15 inches apart. Soil should be cool and consistently moist at planting time.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in spring as soon as soil is workable, or in late summer (typically 8-10 weeks before the first hard frost) for fall harvest. Scatter seeds where you want them to grow, then thin seedlings to 4 inches apart.
Harvesting
Harvest leaves when the head reaches about 5-10 inches tall and the heart feels firm but tender to the touch, typically 50-60 days after sowing. You can cut individual outer leaves starting when the plant is young, or harvest the entire head by cutting just above soil level. For best tenderness and flavor, harvest in cool morning hours. The frost tolerance means you can continue harvesting well into fall and early winter as temperatures drop.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Lactuca L.
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Spreading
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)VI (I)CAN (W)
History & Origin
“Rouge D'Hiver arrived in gardens during the 1800s as a French heirloom lettuce, and its survival across continents and centuries speaks to its reliability and flavor. Seed savers and heirloom gardeners have maintained this variety through careful open-pollinated seed preservation, ensuring that today's gardeners grow the exact same genetics that pleased French market gardeners over 150 years ago.”