Dark Red Lollo Rossa Lettuce

Heirloom Lollo Rossa hails from Italy. Some of my favorite vegetables—and ones that grow successfully in my garden—have their origins there. Broccoli and Violetto artichokes rise to the top of my list.

Perhaps that’s why Dark Red Lollo Rossa lettuce does so well in my Mediterranean climate vegetable garden.

Lollo Rossa in the upper left with other garden greens.

I grew Dark Red Lollo Rossa for the first time in my 2019 winter garden, purchasing a six-pack at a local nursery. The variety was Astina, but the seed is difficult to find. Johnny’s Seeds offers a close match with Dark Red Lollo Rossa, organic seed. You can read a one page PDF about Lollo Rossa from University of Arizona here.

Dark Red Lollo Rossa lettuce from Johnny’s Seeds.

This is what I like about Dark Red Lollo Rossa. First, it is a gorgeous addition to any salad. The contrast of burgundy and chartreuse catches my artist eye and the ruffled texture mixes well with my romaines and arugula for a very attractive salad. Most useful to me is its persistence in the garden without bolting even during warm weather. It outlasted any of my other summer lettuces. A little shade also helps it continue into the summer. Reportedly it also has good cold tolerance which has not been tested in my coastal garden.

You’ll find very useful growing information on Johnny’s website. Dark Red Lollo Rossa Organic Lettuce Seed at Johnny’s Selected Seeds. You can also find the seed at High Mowing Seeds and Fedco Seeds.