Brown Dutch Lettuce was the most frequently planted of the approximately seventeen lettuce varieties documented by Thomas Jefferson in the vegetable garden at Monticello. Seed was sowed 27 times between 1809 and 1824, primarily in the fall for a winter harvest. Mentioned as early as 1731 by British botanist Stephen Switzer, Brown Dutch is a loose-headed variety with large, floppy, blistered outer leaves that are tinged reddish-brown.
Visit Monticello’s Online Shop to check for seeds or plants of Brown Dutch Lettuce.
Location at Monticello: Vegetable Garden
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
