Little Gem Lettuce, 1800's heirloom Organic options available

Little Gem Lettuce - Discover the joy of growing your own crisp, gourmet lettuce with our Little Gem Lettuce seeds. Perfect for small spaces, containers, or raised beds, these petite powerhouses deliver restaurant-quality salads right from your backyard.

Vibrant, compact heads ready for harvest – grow your own today!

Product Overview

Little Gem Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a delightful miniature romaine (Cos) variety renowned for its sweet, crunchy texture and buttery flavor. Each head forms a dense, upright heart about 4-6 inches tall and wide, making it ideal for baby leaf harvesting or full heads.

• Maturity: 45-60 days
• Yield: High; multiple harvests per plant
• Key Features:
  • Bolt-resistant for extended season growing
  • Tender outer leaves with crisp inner hearts
  • Excellent for salads, wraps, grilling, or fresh eating
  • Compact size suits urban gardens, patios, and succession planting
• Heirloom: Yes – Non-GMO, open-pollinated heirloom

Grown for flavor and reliability, Little Gems thrive in cool weather, producing bountiful crops from spring through fall.

Little Gem or English Little Gem (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia, cos/romaine type) emerged in the early 19th century (circa 1820s–1840s) from the innovative market gardens of southern England, particularly around London and Surrey.

British seed merchants, responding to urban demand for "baby" lettuces in fancy hotels and estates, selected from ancient cos landraces (tracing to Roman times via Mediterranean introductions). Growers like those at Hammersmith Market Garden refined it for its miniature 4-6" upright heads—crisp, sweet hearts with buttery texture, ready in just 45-60 days.

• First Commercial Listing: Appeared in English seed catalogs by 1850 (e.g., Suttons Seeds).
• U.S. Arrival: Introduced to America around 1885 by Peter Henderson & Co. in their "Gardening for Profit" catalogs, where it became a favorite for forcing under glass.
• Heirloom Revival: Preserved by Henry F. Roberts (passed to SSE in 1980s); now a staple in organic seed exchanges for its bolt resistance and flavor unmatched by hybrids