Quercus

Tall Blue Lettuce

Lactuca biennis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

56CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · 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
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
  • Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Apantesis carlottaCarlotta's Tiger Moth
  • Apantesis virgoVirgin Tiger Moth
  • Arctia parthenosSt. Lawrence Tiger Moth
Show all 56
  • Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
  • Cerastis tenebriferaReddish Speckled Dart
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Chytolita morbidalisMorbid Owlet
  • Condica vecorsDusky Groundling
  • Cucullia intermediaIntermediate Cucullia, Goldenrod Cutworm, Dashed Paint, Intermediate Hooded Owlet Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • 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
  • Phalaenostola metonalisPale Epidelta, Pale Phalaenostola
  • Phycitodes reliquellaWhite-Edged Phycitodes
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Scopula cacuminariaFrosted Tan Wave
  • Seirarctia echoEcho Moth
  • Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
  • 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
  • Xanthopastis regnatrixConvict Caterpillar, Spanish Quaker, Spanish Moth
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • 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)
24BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lactuca

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
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)

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Asteraceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Flower color
Blue or cream

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Blue Wood Lettuce; Tall Blue Lettuce

Conservation status

Kentucky rankS4S5
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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