__PLANT_TITLE__

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

48CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including GA

Genus host records with ranges including GA · Lactuca

Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
Apantesis carlottaCarlotta's Tiger Moth
Apantesis dorisDoris Tiger Moth
Apantesis virgoVirgin Tiger Moth
Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
Cerastis tenebriferaReddish Speckled Dart

Show all 48

Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Chytolita morbidalisMorbid Owlet
Condica vecorsDusky Groundling
Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Lacinipolia implicataImplicit Arches
Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
Macaria ulsterataBirch Angle, Peacock Moth
Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Pagara simplexMouse-Colored Lichen Moth
Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
Phycitodes reliquellaWhite-Edged Phycitodes
Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
Seirarctia echoEcho Moth
Spilosoma congruaAgreeable Tiger Moth
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
Sutyna privataCheckered Sallow, Private Sallow
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Virbia rubicundariaRuddy Virbia, Ruddy Holomelina
Xanthopastis regnatrixConvict Caterpillar, Spanish Quaker, Spanish Moth
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Eucosma ornatula
Thyraylia bunteana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

9Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Lactuca

Andrena chromotricha
Andrena runcinatae
Ashmeadiella bucconis
Dianthidium curvatum
Dianthidium simile
Melissodes confusus
Melissodes illatus
Melissodes subillatus
Melissodes vernoniae

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

7BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lactuca

Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asteraceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Willowleaf Lettuce

Conservation status

Georgia rank	Not available
Global rank	GNR
GA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden