Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce brings tender, crinkled light-green leaves and mildly sweet flavor to your salad bowl. This non-GMO, heirloom loose-leaf variety reaches harvestable size in approximately 40 days under favorable conditions, with baby leaves ready sooner. Each packet contains 1,000 seeds. Step outside, pick a few outer leaves, and enjoy the simple pleasure of a salad grown in your own garden.

Germination Rate: 85%. Test Date: 01/26. WILL.

Texas Minimum Germination Rate: 80%

Why Choose Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce?

• Quick harvests: Approximately 40-day maturity makes this variety useful for gardeners who want fresh greens without a long wait. Weather and harvest size affect timing.
• Repeat picking: Its loose-leaf habit lets you harvest outer leaves while preserving the growing center for continued production during suitable weather.
• Tender texture: Large, crinkled, light-green leaves add delicate crunch to salads, sandwiches, and garnishes.
• Flexible garden space: Grow in beds, raised beds, or containers with drainage holes, allowing room for plants to develop.
• Heirloom and open-pollinated: Grow a traditional variety and, with appropriate isolation and seed-saving practices, collect seed for future plantings.

Planting Tips for Success

• Choose cool weather: Plant in spring or fall when local conditions are suitable. In hot Texas regions, fall through spring is often more practical than summer growing.
• Sow shallowly: Cover seeds lightly with about 1/8 inch of fine soil, following packet directions. Keep the surface evenly moist until seedlings establish.
• Manage germination temperature: Cool soil favors lettuce germination. Hot soil can inhibit sprouting, so start seeds in a cooler location when necessary.
• Provide room: Thin to approximately 8–10 inches apart for larger plants, with rows about 12–18 inches apart. Baby-leaf plantings can be closer.
• Prepare the soil: Use fertile, well-drained soil enriched with finished compost, or a quality potting mix for containers.
• Balance light and heat: Provide good sunlight in cool weather. Afternoon shade can help reduce warm-weather stress, but it cannot prevent bolting in extreme heat.
• Water consistently: Shallow roots dry out quickly. Check moisture regularly and water the soil without leaving it saturated.
• Fertilize thoughtfully: Follow soil-test recommendations or vegetable-fertilizer label directions. Avoid excessive nitrogen and feeding plants that are already growing well.
• Support and protection: A trellis is not needed. Use appropriate row cover for pest or cold protection and ventilate covered beds when temperatures rise.
• Harvest gently: Pick a few outer leaves once plants are established, leaving the center intact. Cutting below the growing point prevents regrowth. Remove bolted or bitter plants and replant when conditions allow.
• Keep new greens coming: Sow small batches every two to three weeks during favorable weather rather than planting the entire packet at once.

Why Choose David's Garden Seeds®?

• Veteran-Owned: Supplying premium seeds since 2009.
• GO TEXAN Certified: Supporting local agriculture and communities.
• Integrity Pledge: David's Garden Seeds has taken the Seed Integrity Pledge.
• Vegetable Seed License: David's Garden Seeds has been granted a Vegetable Seed License for the State of Texas.

Cooking Methods

• Fresh salads: Toss dry, freshly washed leaves with a light dressing just before serving to preserve their tender texture.
• Sandwiches and burgers: Add whole leaves for a fresh layer of color and delicate crunch.
• Lettuce cups: Use larger leaves for small portions of chilled chicken salad or chickpea filling. These tender leaves are best for light fillings.
• Brief wilting: Stir leaves into a warm skillet at the end of cooking and remove from heat as soon as they soften.

Order Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce Seeds Today

Plant this classic loose-leaf heirloom and enjoy fresh-picked greens during your cool growing season.

Nutritional Information

Approximate general values for harvested loose-leaf lettuce, not planting seeds or the finished recipe. The existing listing uses a serving of 1 cup shredded lettuce (47 grams); these figures are not a variety-specific laboratory analysis.

• Calories: Approximately 5.
• Total carbohydrates: Approximately 1 gram.
• Dietary fiber: Approximately 0.5 gram.
• Protein: Approximately 0.5 gram.
• Vitamin K: Approximately 35% Daily Value.
• Vitamin A: Approximately 13% Daily Value.
• Folate: Approximately 7% Daily Value.
• Vitamin C: Approximately 5% Daily Value.
• Iron: Approximately 2% Daily Value.

Nutrition varies with growing conditions and serving size. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Dressings and other ingredients change the nutrition of a finished dish.

Important Disclosures

• Variety Disclaimer: Maturity, flavor, leaf size, and yield vary with growing conditions. Sustained heat can cause bolting and bitterness; shade does not guarantee summer production.
• Seed Storage: Keep seeds cool, dry, and dark, protected from heat and moisture. Germination declines with seed age and poor storage.
• Planting Zones: Choose planting dates using local climate and cool-season guidance. Hardiness zone alone does not determine when lettuce will grow successfully.

Grow something beautiful. Grow something delicious. Grow with David's Garden Seeds®.

Recipe: Black Seeded Simpson Garden Salad with Lemon-Dill Dressing

Use freshly harvested Black Seeded Simpson leaves for a light, colorful salad. This recipe uses grown lettuce, not the seeds in the packet.

Servings: 4 side salads. Preparation: 15 minutes. Cooking: None.

Ingredients

• 6 cups harvested Black Seeded Simpson lettuce leaves, loosely packed and torn
• 1 cup cucumber half-moons
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Wash your hands and rinse the lettuce and other produce under running water. Spin or gently pat the lettuce dry.
2. Combine the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and radishes in a large serving bowl.
3. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Add half the dressing to the salad and toss gently. Add more to taste without weighing down the tender leaves.
5. Serve immediately for the best texture.

Make-ahead tip: Refrigerate clean, dry lettuce and prepared vegetables separately from the dressing. Toss just before serving. Add cooked, cooled chickpeas for a heartier version.