Crop of the week: Lolla Rosa

-Lolla Rosa is a deeply curled loose leaf lettuce variety with heavily frilled green leaves that have magenta-red edges. It is typically used as an addition to spring mix salads which is made up of several carefully selected baby lettuces and greens that are picked, washed and packaged as whole leaves. The stiff frills help to separate other leaves in salads as well as adding a lovely red color.

-There are approximately 10,000 acres of baby leaf greens produced in the Yuma area.

-All baby leaf, spinach and other small leaf baby green varieties in Yuma are harvested mechanically. Built completely of stainless steel for food safety and longevity, mechanical harvesting has reduced harvesting cost considerably.

-Ounce for ounce, these celebrated greens pack a powerful nutritious punch, providing a wide array of nutrients including fiber, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, folic acid and chlorophyll (the green pigment found in plant cells). Many varieties of leafy greens, including Lolla Rosa, are rich sources of Vitamin C. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has.

-Lolla Rosa lettuce is believed to be a selected form of the bitter-leaved wild species (Lactuca serriola) found throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. The ancient Egyptians were said to have been the first to cultivate it, believing it was an aphrodisiac. They also used its white sap and leaves in a concoction along with fresh beef, frankincense and juniper berries as a "remedy" for stomach aches.

-Some view this versatile plant as an ornamental addition to the landscape. It looks handsome mixed with annuals in a flower bed, combines well with spring-flowering bulbs or is a great foliar foil in mixed containers. Lettuces with frilly, ornately shaped or beautifully colored leaves can be grown strictly as ornamentals, with no intention of harvesting them to eat. They can be used as a landscape border, as an edging or placed among other plants.

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Source: Kurt Nolte is an agriculture agent with the Yuma County Cooperative Extension. He can be reached at knolte@cals.arizona.edu or 726-3904.