Wall Lettuce
Mycelis muralis
Also listed as Lactuca muralis, Chondrilla erysimifolia
Climate Match for your location
See how well Wall Lettuce grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Wall Lettuce is a delicate, slender perennial with small yellow flowers and thin leaves, commonly found growing on walls and rocky outcrops. It thrives in shade and requires minimal care, making it suitable for rock gardens or crevice planting.
Why grow it
Wall Lettuce is a shade-tolerant perennial that establishes readily in marginal growing spaces where many vegetables struggle, particularly rocky or crevice sites unsuitable for conventional cultivation. Compared to other leafy perennials, its minimal fertility and water demands make it useful for low-input systems, though its small leaves and thin stems produce less biomass per plant than annual lettuce varieties. It functions more as a pioneer species for difficult sites than as a primary food crop.
Watch out for
Self-seeds prolifically in suitable conditions, which may require management if you wish to contain it to specific planting areas. Young growth is tender and palatable, but as plants mature the leaves become increasingly bitter and fibrous, limiting harvest windows.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Europe
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Wall Lettuce is a delicate, slender perennial with small yellow flowers and thin leaves, commonly found growing on walls and rocky outcrops. It thrives in shade and requires minimal care, making it suitable for rock gardens or crevice planting.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Wall Lettuce grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Wall Lettuce is a shade-tolerant perennial that establishes readily in marginal growing spaces where many vegetables struggle, particularly rocky or crevice sites unsuitable for conventional cultivation. Compared to other leafy perennials, its minimal fertility and water demands make it useful for low-input systems, though its small leaves and thin stems produce less biomass per plant than annual lettuce varieties. It functions more as a pioneer species for difficult sites than as a primary food crop.
Watch out for
Self-seeds prolifically in suitable conditions, which may require management if you wish to contain it to specific planting areas. Young growth is tender and palatable, but as plants mature the leaves become increasingly bitter and fibrous, limiting harvest windows.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Asteraceae
Native Range
Europe
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Similar herbs you might consider:
Enter your ZIP code to see top native species and strong climate fits for you.