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Flame Lettuce is a striking heirloom looseleaf variety bred from the classic Prizehead lettuce, selected specifically for its vivid red coloring and tender frilled leaves. This cold-season crop reaches full maturity in 60 to 69 days, though you can harvest baby leaves in just 30 days if you prefer tender young growth. It grows 5 to 10 inches tall and thrives in hardiness zones 2 through 10, making it accessible to gardeners across most of North America. The bold crimson hue spreads from the stems through the broad, delicately ruffled leaves, creating an eye-catching addition to any salad garden.
Full Sun
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2-10
10in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The real draw here is the color contrast. Bright red spreads from the stems outward to those broad, deeply frilled leaves in a way that stops you mid-chop. It's an open-pollinated heirloom selected from proven stock, so the seed you save this year will grow the same plants next year. Plant it as a cool-season crop in spring or fall, and you'll have harvestable leaves within a month or full plants ready in two months. The mild flavor makes it wonderfully versatile for mixing with other greens, where its crimson fringe adds both visual drama and tender texture.
Flame Lettuce shines in raw applications where its appearance matters as much as its taste. Toss it into mixed green salads where the crimson leaves add visual pop and tender texture alongside milder greens. The frilled leaves work beautifully as a bed for composed salads or grain bowls, where they catch light and dressing alike. Market growers favor this variety specifically for its ornamental appeal at farmers' markets, where the bold red coloring draws customers' eyes. Its mild flavor makes it an excellent mixer with more assertive lettuces and vinaigrettes, rather than a starring solo role.
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Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your desired transplant date, sowing them in seed-starting mix kept at 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Lettuce seeds need light to germinate, so scatter them on the soil surface and press gently without covering. They'll sprout in 7 to 10 days under consistent moisture and good light. Harden off seedlings gradually over a week before moving them outdoors.
Transplant seedlings outdoors when they have two true leaves, typically 3 to 4 weeks after sowing. Choose a spot with full sun and space plants 8 inches apart. Transplant in spring 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost, or in late summer for a fall crop. Water well after transplanting to settle the soil.
Direct sow seeds in the garden bed where they'll grow, pressing them lightly into moist soil without covering, as lettuce seeds need light to germinate. Sow in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in mid-to-late summer for fall harvest. Keep soil consistently moist until germination in 7 to 10 days.
Begin harvesting outer leaves once the plant reaches 4 to 6 inches tall, typically around 30 days after sowing, for a continuous supply of tender baby leaves. For full-sized heads, wait until the plant reaches its mature height of 5 to 10 inches at 60 to 69 days. Harvest in the morning when leaves are crisp and full of moisture. Either pick outer leaves while leaving the center to keep producing, or cut the entire plant at soil level. Flame Lettuce doesn't form tight heads like crisphead varieties, so you're harvesting from a loose rosette of leaves.
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“Flame Lettuce emerged as a deliberate selection from the Prizehead variety, a beloved American heirloom that has been grown since the 19th century. Breeders at True Leaf Market identified the most vibrant red-leafed plants within their Prizehead population and began selecting for that striking coloration generation after generation. This careful, methodical selection process preserved both the genetic heritage of Prizehead and introduced a more dramatic visual statement. As an open-pollinated heirloom, Flame carries forward the tradition of seed-saving that has kept lettuce varieties alive in home gardens for generations.”