VegetableLettuce
Blonde De Paris Lettuce
Blonde de Paris is a butterhead lettuce cultivar that earned its place in gardens through sheer reliability and performance. This award-winning variety grows to a modest 5-10 inches tall and reaches harvest in just 50-55 days, making it one of the faster lettuces to mature. Hardy across zones 2-10, it thrives in full sun and tolerates the stress and poor soil conditions that challenge other varieties. The real appeal lies in its proven ability to handle summer heat without bolting, a trait that makes it genuinely useful for gardeners in challenging climates.
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
TypeSpreading
Spacing
8
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
—
Zones
2-10
Size
10in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
First introduced by Cornell University in the 1960s, Blonde de Paris earned the 1963 All-America Selections award for its exceptional tolerance to stress, poor soils, and heat-induced bolting. The tender, delicious leaves look as refined in the garden as they do in the salad bowl, with a butter-soft texture that defines the butterhead type. Its hardiness across such a wide range of zones combined with its speed to harvest and proven resilience makes this a lettuce that actually performs when other varieties fail.
Common Uses
Blonde de Paris is grown for fresh salads, where its tender, butter-soft leaves provide a delicate eating experience. The compact mounding growth habit means you harvest by cutting the entire head or peeling away outer leaves for successive harvests, making it efficient for home gardeners who want quick returns on small garden space.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in cool-season months (spring and fall in most regions) for best results, as this variety handles heat better than spring lettuces but still prefers moderate temperatures. Sow seeds outdoors as soon as soil can be worked in spring, roughly 2-3 weeks before the last frost date in your zone.
Harvesting
Harvest when heads feel slightly firm to gentle squeeze, typically 50-55 days after sowing. Cut the entire head at soil level with a sharp knife, or harvest outer leaves individually for a longer harvest window. Morning harvest yields crispest leaves, as lettuce is most turgid after cool nights.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
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
“Blonde de Paris entered garden history through Cornell University, where plant breeders developed it to solve a real problem: most lettuces either bolted in heat or struggled in marginal growing conditions. When it debuted as the 1963 All-America Selections vegetable winner, the award recognized not a flashy novelty but a genuinely improved tool for American gardeners. The recognition cemented its status as a reliable workhorse, particularly valued by growers in regions where summer heat and unpredictable soil would normally end the lettuce season.”