Blue wild lettuce
| Botanical Name | Lactuca tatarica, var. pulchella |
| Common Name | Blue wild lettuce |
| Family | Asteraceae - Aster |
| Description | This native, deep-rooted, biennial/perennial plant is erect with a leafy stem. The lance-shaped leaves are smooth and bluish-green. Sometimes there are prominently toothed basal leaves. It has a milky white sap. It often grows in patches in meadows and other moist places. |
| Mature Size | 2’ – 4’ |
| Bloom | June – September there are showy, blue to purple flowers with ray florets only. They are about 1” in diameter and grow in open clusters. Its pappus is made of white hair-like bristles. |
| Interesting Facts | Lactuca tatarica is a troublesome or noxious weed in some areas of the West. It is sometimes confused with Chicory (Chichorium intybus). |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | Parts of this plant have been used as a painkiller, for insomnia, rheumatic pain, anxiety, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, warts, etc. It should be used with caution and never without the supervision of a trained professional. |
 |
|
|
Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
|
