'Outredgeous' Lettuce

Lactuca sativa

Origin: Philomath, Oregon

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~250

Germination tested 10/2025: 95%

Life cycle: Annual

From our seed source, Wild Garden Seed's Frank Morton:

"This variety is so red that botany students didn’t recognize it as lettuce when they saw it in our breeding nursery back in ‘98, though a crowd did gather to discuss what it might be. A nice upright cut-salad variety, forms a loose romaine head at maturity. An outrage of red in the salad bed, becoming a standard for salad growers. I guess this is our hit.

In April 2014, Outredgeous became the first lettuce grown in space (!!) aboard the International Space Station. From the Wild Garden to space in 15 years. That’s what plant breeders call overnight success."

This variety carries the Open Source Seed Initiative Pledge: “You have the freedom to use these OSSI- Pledged seeds in any way you choose. In return, you pledge not to restrict others’ use of these seeds or their derivatives by patents or other means, and to include this Pledge with any transfer of these seeds or their derivatives.”