Ark Of Taste Hanson Head Lettuce

Introducing our Hanson Head Lettuce, a true gem from the Slow Food Ark of Taste!  Originally cultivated by the Hanson family in Massachusetts, this lettuce is celebrated for its crisp texture, sweet flavor, and beautiful frilly leaves.  It's a hardy heat tolerant variety that allows you to savor the taste during the warm months as well.

Here's the Heritage Story: 

Hanson lettuce, a variety of Curled India lettuce, was imported into Maryland in 1800 and there improved by the Hanson family. In 1870 Colonel George Hanson conveyed the lettuce seed to the Henry Dreer Seed Company of Philadelphia, which made it a nationally significant variety. Here is how George Hansen described the lettuce himself: “this lettuce is superior in every respect to any lettuce I ever saw, for these reasons: the heads are the largest, a single one is frequently large enough for an ordinary sized family; the leaves are exceedingly crisp and tender, and (if cut early in the morning) seem to break like pipe stems; the color is of the most beautiful green without, and white within, and is entirely free from that peculiar grassy taste found in some varieties."

Plant Specifications: 

Hanson Head Lettuce typically 2 to 3 weeks after planting starter plants. Harvest leaves when they reach the desired size, usually around 6 to 8 inches in length. You can either pick individual leaves or cut the entire head at the base. Harvest in the morning for the best flavor and texture.

Make sure to plant in nutrient dense soil to ensure thriving plants. You can purchase our Pura Terra soil specifically curated to help improve your soil.