Lettuce

Also known as Garden Lettuce, Cultivated Lettuce

First domesticated in ancient Egypt from spiny wild ancestors, lettuce develops as a dense basal rosette before stretching into a tall flowering stalk as seasonal temperatures climb. During bolting, stems exude a bitter, milky white latex rich in lactucarium to deter herbivores while producing clusters of delicate yellow blossom heads. When allowed to mature fully in garden plots, its late-summer flowers attract diverse pollinators including hoverflies and solitary bees.