Heirloom, Non-GMO, Open-Pollinated, Organic
Also known as stem or asparagus lettuce, celtuce is a lettuce cultivar that produces edible, thick, crisp, and nutty-flavored stems and highly-toothed, dark-red and green leaves with a slightly bitter, yet surprisingly refreshing, flavor when eaten young. Very popular in Asia, celtuce stems are harvested when they reach a foot long and then typically sautéed.
Edible leaves are best eaten about 4–5 weeks after planting, and the stems are ready when they reach about a foot tall (about 60 days).
Celtuce leaves are best enjoyed when young and become more bitter with age. Cut the outer leaves as they mature.
Celtuce stems, however, are why most gardeners grow this lettuce cultivar. The stem is usually harvested at a length of around a foot and a diameter of around 1.5". Celtuce stems will last for three weeks or more when placed in a ziplock bag in a refrigerator vegetable drawer.
Young ‘Cracoviensis’ celtuce leaves can be tossed in salads just like other lettuce leaves. ‘Cracoviensis’ celtuce stems have a mild, nutty, and crisp flavor that enhances salads, stir-fries, soups, and stews. In Asia, the stems are typically sliced and then stir-fried with more strongly flavored ingredients.
To prepare the celtuce stem, peel off the tough outer skin to reveal the crunchy, juicy, and flavorful inner part.
Seed Savers Exchange acquired this early-maturing variety in the 1990s from Mary Schultz, an Exchange lister in Washington state. ‘Cracoviensis’ celtuce makes its début in the Seed Savers Exchange catalog as a From the Collection variety in 2026.
