Lactuca Species, China Lettuce, Compass Plant, Horse Thistle, Wild Lettuce

Lactucaserriola

Family
Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee)
Genus
Lactuca (lak-TOO-kuh)
Species
serriola (ser-ee-OH-luh)
Synonym
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Foliage
Herbaceous
Height
36-48 in. (90-120 cm)
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
Spacing
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Hardiness
Not Applicable
Danger
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Bloom Color
Bright Yellow
Bloom Time
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other Details
Category
Annuals
Biennials
Water Requirements
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Foliage Color
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
Bloom Size
Other details
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost
Seed Collecting
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Phoenix, Arizona

Aurora, Colorado

Waggoner, Illinois

Benton, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Dallas, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

Salt Lake City, Utah

Spokane, Washington

show all

Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

0
positive
2
neutrals
3
negatives
Sort By:
Sort By:
S
Louisville, KY (Zone 6b) | February 2007 | negative

Pull this weed early and use garden gloves. I remember the painful surprize I got the first time I grabbed hold of this weed. It is ver...Read More

F
Josephine, Arlington, TX (Zone 8a) | August 2006 | neutral

Lactuca serriola is naturalized in Texas and other States.

C
Lompoc, CA (Zone 10a) | December 2005 | negative

This is a weed here in CA and the roots are very very hard to get rid of! They always re-sprout! NEVER grow this, it is a WEED!

M
M
Benton, KY (Zone 7a) | January 2005 | negative

Invasive and difficult to get rid of. The long taproots are almost impossible to dig up and the gazillions of seeds take wing and float i...Read More

S
Oklahoma City, OK (Zone 7a) | August 2002 | neutral

This plant is considered to be invasive in some states.

Featured
European Paper Wasp
(Polistes dominulus)
Noisy Miner
(Manorina melanocephala)
Featured
European Paper Wasp
(Polistes dominulus)
Noisy Miner
(Manorina melanocephala)