Fauna
Plant

Tatarian Blue Lettuce

Lactuca tatarica

Also known as Blue Lettuce, Tartarian Lettuce, Showy Blue Lettuce

Tatarian blue lettuce spreads vigorously through deep, creeping rhizomes, allowing dense patches to colonize disturbed steppes, coastal dunes, and alkaline meadows. Stems bleed a bitter white latex when broken, an adaptation that deters many generalist insect herbivores. In mid to late summer, terminal branched clusters open into vibrant periwinkle or violet flower heads that attract an assortment of native bees and hoverflies.

PerennialWildflowerSalt-Tolerant
Tatarian Blue Lettuce reference1 / 7
(c) Hanna Larsson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Carbon dioxide, Soil nutrients
Predators
  • Herbivorous insects
  • Aphids
  • Grazing ungulates
ThreatsAgricultural intensification, intensive herbicide use, and land development
HabitatsSteppes, saline meadows, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed ground
Life spanPerennial
Classification
  1. FamilyAsteraceae
  2. SpeciesLactuca tatarica
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Observation Timing: Inspect blooms on bright, sunny mornings before flowers close in afternoon heat.
  • Root Sensitivity: Avoid trampling vegetative shoots, as fragile creeping rhizomes form interconnected colonies.
Related species
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