- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
- Learn More
Variety Info
Days to Maturity: 21–65 days
Family: Asteraceae
Type: Butterhead Lettuce (Learn more)
Native: Unknown; lettuce has been in cultivation for a long time.
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annual
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Plant Dimensions: 5"–6" wide, 3"–5" tall
Variety Info: Large, soft, slightly crumpled light green leaves in a loose head with a creamy yellow core. 'Buttercrunch' is a butterhead type lettuce bred at Cornell University.
Attributes: Frost Tolerant
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 2 to 4 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is at least 40°F, ideally 60°–70°F. Successive Sowings: Every 3 weeks until 4 to 6 weeks before your average first fall frost date. Mild Climates: Sow in fall and winter for cool season harvests.
When to Start Inside: 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, and in summer when soil temperatures are too warm (above 80°F) to germinate lettuce seed.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: Surface to ⅛"
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 6"
Row Spacing: 8"
Thinning: When ½" tall, thin to 1 every 6"
Your hardiness zone is
Growing Info
Harvesting: Harvest in the morning, by cutting off at ground level. If regrowth is desired, cut the leaves higher, at 2". For a continual supply, outer, individual leaves can be harvested at any stage of maturity, but leave at least half of the plant for regrowth.
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Lettuce: Sow and Grow Guide- AmyVerified ReviewerRated 5 out of 5 stars3/22/26Overwintered in my garden!
I’m a beginner gardener, last season was my first. I sewed these seeds too late in the fall & they did not reach full maturity before I hung up my hat last season. I just left the half-grown heads of lettuce where they were, figured I’d just consider them a cover crop.
But most of the mid-maturity plants overwintered in my garden! We even had a massive ice storm in January, but the plants began growing again when the weather started warming up in February. Also, I harvested them today and noticed zero pest damage. I may have just gotten lucky, but I’ll take W 😊
Central Arkansas - zone 8b
Which best describes you as a gardener? BeginnerBIBotanical Interests3/23/26Hey Amy,
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing story! What a wonderful surprise to discover your Buttercrunch lettuce survived the winter and even an ice storm. It sounds like you stumbled upon a fantastic natural experiment - sometimes the best gardening discoveries happen by accident! Your plants clearly found the perfect conditions to overwinter in zone 8b, and zero pest damage is definitely a win worth celebrating. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with fellow gardeners. Keep on growing 🌻
- ShellyRated 5 out of 5 stars3/2/265 Stars
I love buttercrunch!! I was excited to seed tgat they had this variety of seeds. I can even plant a few before the weather is to hot. I can get a couple of harvests from them.
- Alfred B.Verified BuyerRated 2 out of 5 stars2/8/26Low germinating
I sowed nine seeds for germination. But only two sprouted. I was looking for a great germination rate. But I didn't get it. I will try again this week. Hoping for a better germination rate.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests2/16/26Hey Alfred,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts in a review. I've reached out to you via email to offer assistance. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to ensuring your experience is positive. Thank you once again for your input. Keep on growing 🌻️
- CollinVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars1/13/26Our New Favorite Lettuce
We grew a plethora of lettuce last season including Romaine, Medleys and the complimentary lettuce pack in our order (Thanks Botanical Interests!) and the Buttercrunch was by far our favorite. We grew enough to be able to give some to friends and family as well as stock our market stand and received a ton of compliments and comments. Large leaves, great texture, non bitter - truthfully "buttercrunch" describes it perfectly.
Which best describes you as a gardener? IntermediateBIBotanical Interests1/13/26Hey Collin,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such an amazing review of our Buttercrunch Butterhead Lettuce Seeds! We're absolutely thrilled to hear that it became your new favorite lettuce variety out of all the different types you grew last season! It sounds like you had an incredible harvest - growing enough to share with friends and family AND stock your market stand is fantastic! We love hearing that you received so many compliments and comments on them. You're absolutely right that "buttercrunch" describes it perfectly with those large leaves, great texture, and non-bitter taste. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your growing success with us. Keep on growing 🌻️
- Debbie M.Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 stars1/10/26Buttercrunch butter head lettuce seeds
Didn’t get many to harvest but the few I did my
Daughter said it was delicious
Which best describes you as a gardener? BeginnerBIBotanical Interests1/13/26Hey Debbie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with our Buttercrunch Butterhead Lettuce Seeds! We're so thrilled to hear that your daughter found the lettuce delicious - that's what really matters! The Buttercrunch variety is known for its sweet, tender leaves and buttery flavor, so we're glad she got to experience that. We appreciate your feedback about the harvest and hope you'll give them another try in the future. Thank you for choosing us and for sharing your growing experience with us. Keep on growing 🌻️