Edible Parts: Leaves  Oil  Oil  Shoots
Edible Uses: Oil  Oil

Young leaves are edible raw or cooked [2-3]. Older leaves remain edible but become strongly bitter and increasingly prickly. Boiling softens the physical prickles and removes some bitterness. The dried root latex can be chewed as gum, but it is not a desirable flavoring and should not be swallowed deliberately in quantity. Seeds have no important traditional food use [2-3]. Edibility Rating: 3/5. Prickly lettuce receives an edibility rating of 3 out of 5. Its flavor is inferior to blue lettuce, but abundance and long seasonal availability compensate substantially. Where other greens are scarce, it is a dependable resource [2-3]. Taste, Processing & Culinary Use; Young rosette leaves taste lettuce-like but noticeably bitter. As plants age, bitterness intensifies, and the prickly leaf margins become increasingly unpleasant raw. Boiling is highly effective at softening the spines. For the best flavor, boil the leaves separately and discard the first cooking water. A second short cooking in fresh water can further reduce bitterness. The cooked leaves can then be used like other potherbs. Drying is exceptionally easy. Leaves turn brittle quickly and can be stored for later cooking. The latex gum is an unusual secondary use. Cut roots exude milky white sap that gradually dries on exposure to air. Once completely dry, it develops a tough gum-like texture. Its initial flavor has been described in your notes as a combination of glue, paint, bitter earth, and flour, but much of this disappears with prolonged chewing, leaving the resilient gummy texture primarily. Large pieces can remain chewable for hours [2-3]. Seasonality (Phenology): Prickly lettuce can germinate during autumn, winter, or spring depending on climate. Young rosettes may be available through much of the cool season in the Southwest. Flowering can occur from March through October. The long season is one reason the plant is such a dependable wild green. Seeds mature continuously once flowering begins and are dispersed by wind [2-3]. Safety & Cautions: Young leaves have a long history of edible use, but extremely bitter mature material should not be eaten in large quantities. Prickly lettuce contains bitter sesquiterpene lactones and milky latex. Concentrated latex has historically been called lactucarium and used medicinally; this is not equivalent to ordinary food use. Therefore, chew dried latex gum conservatively and do not intentionally swallow large amounts. People with Asteraceae allergies should avoid the plant. Roadside populations may be contaminated by herbicides and vehicle pollution [2-3]. Harvest & Processing: Gather young basal leaves before the central flowering stalk develops. Use gloves if harvesting older plants because the midrib and leaf margins become prickly. Wash thoroughly. You can eat young, tender leaves raw. Boil older leaves, discarding the first water. For latex gum, expose a clean section of root, make a small cut, and allow the latex to collect and dry fully before removal. Repeated cutting damages the plant, so there is little reason to collect large quantities. Traditional Uses: Prickly lettuce originated in Eurasia and North Africa and therefore has no pre-contact Indigenous North American food history. Following introduction, it became a readily available wild green in many regions. In Europe and western Asia, related wild lettuces have long been eaten as cooked greens and used medicinally [2-3]. Nutritional Value: Young foliage is expected to provide fiber, carotenoids, vitamin K, folate, and minerals with few calories. The latex provides negligible useful nutrition. Young leaves - raw or cooked[13, 55, 62]. A bitter flavor [85]. The young tender leaves are mild and make an excellent salad[183, 217], but the whole plant becomes bitter as it gets older, especially when coming into flower[K]. As a potherb, it needs very little cooking[183]. Large quantities can cause digestive upsets[62]. Young shoots - cooked. Used as an asparagus substitute[13]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[46, 61, 105]. The oil must be refined before it is edible[114]. A pleasant flavour[114, 183].

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Anodyne  Antipyretic  Diuretic  Homeopathy  Hypnotic  Narcotic  Sedative  Urinary


The whole plant is rich in a milky sap that flows freely from any wounds. This hardens and dries when in contact with the air[4]. The sap contains 'lactucarium', which is used in medicine for its anodyne, antispasmodic, digestive, diuretic, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative properties[9, 21, 46, 165, 192, 213, 238]. Lactucarium has the effects of a feeble opium, but without its tendency to cause digestive upsets[4], nor is it addictive[7]. It is taken internally in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, neuroses, hyperactivity in children, dry coughs, whooping cough, rheumatic pain etc[238]. Concentrations of lactucarium are low in young plants and most concentrated when the plant comes into flower[238]. It is collected commercially by cutting the heads of the plants and scraping the juice into china vessels several times a day until the plant is exhausted[4]. This species does not contain as much lactucarium as L. virosa[4]. An infusion of the fresh or dried flowering plant can also be used[9]. The plant should be used with caution, and never without the supervision of a skilled practitioner. Even normal doses can cause drowsiness whilst excess causes restlessness[238] and overdoses can cause death through cardiac paralysis[7, 9]. The fixed oil from the seeds is said to possess antipyretic and hypnotic properties[240]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of chronic catarrh, coughs, swollen liver, flatulence and ailments of the urinary tract[9].

Oil  Oil

The seed contains 35.2% of a semi-drying oil[240]. It is used in soap making, paints, varnishes etc[114]. Wildlife & Ecology: Foliage is eaten by herbivorous insects and some mammals. Seeds provide food for small birds. As an introduced plant, however, dense stands can compete with native vegetation.

Special Uses