Summer Bibb Lettuce, Heirloom Seeds

Summer Bibb Lettuce — The Heat-Tolerant Kentucky Heirloom With Buttery, Blanched Hearts

Summer Bibb is the lettuce for gardeners who want to keep harvesting long after other varieties have bolted. A heat-tolerant heirloom developed by Lt. John B. Bibb in Kentucky in the 1800s — and not offered commercially until 1935 — it forms beautiful compact rosettes of light green leaves dotted with red spots, with tender, blanched hearts that deliver exceptional buttery flavor and crisp texture. It holds longer in warm weather than standard Buttercrunch while still growing quickly in cool conditions.

A true garden heritage variety with 43-day maturity and 500+ seeds per packet.

Why Grow Summer Bibb?

• Heat tolerant — holds longer in warm weather than Buttercrunch, extends your harvest season
• Buttery, blanched hearts — crisp, clean flavor that outshines any grocery store lettuce
• Beautiful red-spotted leaves — compact rosettes, ornamental as well as edible
• Kentucky heirloom heritage — developed by Lt. John B. Bibb in the 1800s, treasured for generations
• Fast 43-day maturity — quick from seed to table
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Direct sow outdoors 4–6 weeks before last frost, or start indoors 3–4 weeks before transplanting. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in fertile, well-draining soil. Thin to 6–8 inches apart. Water consistently. For extended harvests, succession sow every 2–3 weeks. In hot weather, provide afternoon shade to further extend the season. Harvest outer leaves continuously or cut the whole head at soil level.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — heirloom seeds grown without GMOs, selected for flavor, resilience, and your garden’s success.