Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce

(Lactua sativa)

I planted my first heirloom variety four years ago, but didn't learn that it was actually an heirloom until a few months ago. Black-Seeded Simpson seeds were among the many plastic packets of seeds delivered to my wife and me by family friends who are expert gardeners one evening in spring 2009. I still remember how they backed down our driveway ready for action with their pickup full of horse manure and a rear-tine tiller.

Image credit: Kristen Bonardi Rapp

The father tilled our small garden bed (we've audaciously expanded it each year since) and gave us seeds for 10 or so varieties that had done well for them in their large garden. By "large" I mean that the family's annual Christmas letter always includes tallies of how many jars of each veggie variety the mother cans. The numbers are always impressive.

What's left of those first heirloom seeds given to my wife and me.

Anyway, one of the seeds they gave us was Black-Seeded Simpson, technically a loosehead type lettuce. That basically means that it doesn't form a head like Iceberg lettuce, but has delicate leaves that a gardener just pulls off the main plant. The neon green lettuce comes up fast, 40 to 55 days, and tastes great, not at all bitter. If you want fresh lettuce all summer, this is the heirloom for you. It grows so fast that a person could make himself a salad each day from one plant. This stuff is prolific—you'll likely end up with more than you can eat, so make friends with your neighbors. Burpee says the variety has been filling gardens for more than 150 years and I suppose that for many years into the future, friends will continue sharing the seeds of this easy-to-grow lettuce of yesteryear.