Prickly Lettuce is an annual broadleaf weed that can be hard to see, as it is often flat and hidden in the grass. It has pale green stems that can grow from 1 to 6 feet tall in ideal conditions. The bluish-green leaves are 2½ inches long, have prickly, painful edges and ooze a milky sap when broken. Yellow, dandelion-like flowers bloom from spring through fall. Prickly Lettuce spreads quickly by seeding and prefers dry, light soil.
Location
Prickly Lettuce grows throughout the entire United States.
Related or Similar Plants
Sowthistle
Cultural Solutions
- Hoe or pull when young.
- Keep lawns properly fertilized and healthy to resist invasion.