Corn salad (lamb's lettuce)
Valerianella locusta
Botanical family: Caprifoliaceae
Valerianella locusta, a small Caprifoliaceae (formerly Valerianaceae) of cultivated fields. Its tender rosettes are eaten raw, and it is harvested in winter without protection, except in severe cold. Sources: Tela Botanica, “Valerianella locusta (L.) Laterr.” (Coste's flora, under the name Valerianella olitoria); Plants For A Future, “Valerianella locusta”.
Sun to partial shade
Firm, rather compacted, cool
Regular as long as the soil is not naturally cool
Very hardy: the winter salad, withstands frost
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A small hardy salad that occupies the vegetable garden during the bad season, when almost nothing else grows: sown from late summer to autumn, it's harvested from autumn to spring. It covers the bare winter soil and self-seeds readily, a precious link in the permanent cover.
Good companions
Trap plants (variable effect, need watching)
Traditional companion planting (benefit not demonstrated)
Seasons & availability
The winter salad: sown in late summer, picked from autumn to early spring.
Available: January, February, March, October, November, December.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- Terre Vivante, « Comment cultiver, conserver et multiplier la mâche ? » (terrevivante.org/contenu/mache-semer-entretenir-recolter/)
- Plants For A Future, « Valerianella locusta » (pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Valerianella+locusta)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
No notable particularity.
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.
Common varieties
Key takeaways
- • Prefers sun to partial shade exposure.
- • Ideal soil: firm, rather compacted, cool.
- • Classic companion: Leek.