Native Plant of the Day 08/21/2013
Photo from July 30, 2009. Location: Walker County, GA
Wild Lettuce – for more photos and information go to the Lactuca canadensis detail page.
Wild Lettuce, Canada Lettuce – Lactuca canadensis
Also NPOD 08/20/2010, 10/23/2010, 08/20/2011, 08/20/2012
I imagine it’s related to our Prickly Lettuce (it has a ridge of little spines on the backs of the leaves) – Lactuca serriola.
Indeed it is related to Prickly Lettuce, Lucy. Lactuca serriola has established itself over here as well – it’s now in every state except Alaska.
Thanks for the visit and comment.
-gcw
Hi Gerry,
Thank you for leaving a place for comments!
Trying to identify some plants in my early April backyard, I have narrowed these tall (some >3′), yellow blooming plants down to either Hairy Cat’s Ear, False Dandelion – Hypochaeris radicata or Wild Lettuce, Canada Lettuce – Lactuca canadensis. Would you help me?
My plants have the floret of hairy dandelion-like basal leaves, which suggests the cat’s ear. But the cat’s ears flowers are single; mine are in a cluster like the wild lettuce. But unlike wild lettuce, mine have no milky sap when stem or leaf is broken. Like the wild lettuce, the lower half of the stem on mine has a reddish hue.
I’ll be happy to send a photo, if that would help. I’d like to know if I should keep some of them for edible, herbal, or medicinal purposes, or pull them!
Thank you so much for any help you can give!
-Jayne