Species library · Plants & herbs

Foraging Prickly Lettuce

Lactuca serriola

Typically in season from April to October, peaking around April to August in the northern hemisphere. Found in Disturbed ground, Grassland. Has toxic lookalikes, so check carefully.

Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola)

Photo: (c) George F Mayfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · iNaturalist

When Prickly Lettuce is in season

Typical window in the northern hemisphere, peak April to August. The southern hemisphere runs about six months offset, and your own timing depends on local weather, so check your town.

→ Everything in season to forage in September

Where it grows

Prickly Lettuce is usually found in Disturbed ground, Grassland.

⚠ Look-alikes & safety

Similar species: common sowthistle, prickly sowthistle, wild lettuce. Only forage with a confident ID.

Take Prickly Lettuce into the field

Open Prickly Lettuce in the Forage app for its full field guide entry with more photos, key features and toxic lookalikes to check against. Add it to your watchlist and the app pings you the moment it comes into season at your exact spot, worked out from live weather, elevation and billions of occurrence records.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

Prickly Lettuce: common questions

When is Prickly Lettuce in season?

Prickly Lettuce is generally in season from April to October, with its peak around April to August in temperate northern regions. The exact timing shifts with latitude, elevation and each year's weather. Check the Season Finder for your own location.

Where does Prickly Lettuce grow?

Prickly Lettuce is usually found in Disturbed ground, Grassland.

Is Prickly Lettuce safe to forage?

Similar species: common sowthistle, prickly sowthistle, wild lettuce. Only forage with a confident ID. Never eat any wild plant, berry, nut or mushroom unless you are completely certain of the identification. Check every find against a reliable field guide, and when in doubt, don't.

One note before you head out

Forage helps you discover and identify wild plants, but identification is never 100% certain. Many edible plants have toxic lookalikes. Never eat anything you find based only on what this app tells you. Always confirm with a field guide, an experienced forager or a local expert. The season score tells you where to look, too: it’s not a guarantee. Mind conservation law and property rights as well.

Species photos via Wikimedia Commons and iNaturalist · full credits