Red Iceberg Lettuce is a striking heirloom variety that brings brilliant color and satisfying crunch to your garden. Unlike pale green icebergs, this cultivar develops deep red-tinted leaves that make it as beautiful on the plate as it is in the garden bed. Maturing in 55 to 79 days depending on conditions, it grows as a compact upright head reaching 5 to 10 inches tall and thrives across hardiness zones 2 through 10. This open-pollinated, organic lettuce handles frost well and produces the dense, crispy heads that made iceberg lettuce a kitchen staple, but with the added visual appeal of its crimson coloring.
Photo © True Leaf Market
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
—
Width
8 in
Spacing
70–79
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual, Biennial
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual, Biennial
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Red Iceberg delivers genuine crispness and a striking deep-red appearance that outperforms its pale cousins both nutritionally and aesthetically. The leaves crisp up beautifully for fresh salads and garnishes, and because it's frost-tolerant and cold-hardy across a wide range of zones, you can stretch your harvest season at both ends. Growing from open-pollinated seed means you can save seed from your best plants year after year, connecting you to a genuine heirloom tradition.
Common Uses
Red Iceberg is grown primarily for fresh salads, where its crisp texture and striking color make individual leaves or whole heads equally appealing. The vibrant red-tinted foliage transforms a simple green salad into something visually compelling, while the dense, crunchy leaves hold up well under dressings. It's equally at home as a garnish, a sandwich base, or the foundation of composed salads where its color and structure contribute both flavor and presentation.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
N/a
First Harvest
Late Spring
Last Harvest
Early Autumn
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your anticipated transplant date. Red Iceberg germinates best at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and does not require light to germinate.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after they have developed 2 to 3 true leaves. Harden off plants gradually over several days before moving them to the garden. Space iceberg types 12 to 16 inches apart in rows 14 inches apart.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds where you want them to grow, planting up to the point where germination and soil crusting could be a problem. Using row cover at sowing time improves germination and prevents soil from forming a hard crust that seedlings struggle to push through. Thin seedlings to proper spacing once they've developed 2 to 3 true leaves.
Harvesting
Red Iceberg reaches harvest maturity in 55 to 79 days from direct seeding, though some sources report as early as 50 days. Cut individual outer leaves from the outside of the plant to extend your harvest season, allowing the inner leaves to continue growing. You can also harvest the entire head by cutting it about 1 inch above the soil line, which may generate secondary harvests from the remaining stem. Check plants daily as they mature, and harvest before they bolt; once lettuce begins to flower, the leaves turn bitter.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
EdibleNative Species
Scientific Classification
Lactuca ×morssii B.L. Rob. (pro sp.)
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (N)
History & Origin
“Red Iceberg is an open-pollinated, heirloom variety of Lactuca sativa, representing a lineage of iceberg-type lettuces that became a cornerstone of 20th-century American agriculture. This particular cultivar preserves the reliable heading structure and crisp texture of classic icebergs while reclaiming the deeper pigmentation found in older lettuce varieties. As an organic, non-GMO seed offering, Red Iceberg has been maintained and offered by seed companies committed to preserving genetic diversity and allowing home gardeners to save and replant their own seed.”