General Information
Lollo Rosso forms a distinct compact rosette of blood violet fan-shaped leaves with a non-hearting pale green base. The leaves have a crisp, semi-succulent, hardy texture and ruffled tips. Lollo Rosso’s flavor is bold, slightly bitter and nutty.
Loose-leaf lettuces like Lollo Rosso provide vitamins A and C, folate, and iron. In 1999, scientists at the University of Glasgow found that Lollo Rosso has 100 times more antioxidants than common lettuce. It also contains the antioxidant quercetin, which is believed to help prevent asthma and allergies by acting as a natural antihistamine.
History
Lollo Rosso is native to Italy. It is grown as a supplemental lettuce to mix with other lettuce’s of varying textures and flavors. It thrives in cool seasons and requires fertile soil, warm days and cool nights. When harvesting, be sure the Lollo Rosso leaves are at least three inches in length and that an entire outer layer is plucked to encourage growth. Several harvests can be obtained from one plant. Once the central stem forms the plant is ready to bolt and the leaves will become excessively bitter.
