Tom Thumb, Heirloom Butterhead Lettuce Seeds

Tom Thumb — The 1850s Heirloom Butterhead That Grows Perfect Baseball-Sized Heads for Individual Salads

Tom Thumb is one of the most charming and practical lettuces in the heirloom garden. Dating to the 1850s, this unusual miniature butterhead produces compact heads about the size of a baseball — ideal for individual salads straight from the garden. Dark green, somewhat fleshy outer leaves wrap around a creamy yellow, mild-flavored interior that is tender and delicious. Tom Thumb is an excellent summer lettuce, tolerating high temperatures at maturity and resisting bolting better than larger varieties — an outstanding choice for home gardeners and specialty market growers who want a reliable, beautiful, and practical butterhead. 35–50 days.

Why Grow Tom Thumb?

• 1850s heirloom heritage — nearly 175 years of continuous cultivation
• Baseball-sized miniature heads — perfect for individual salads, no cutting needed
• Creamy yellow interior — mild, tender butterhead flavor
• Heat tolerant & bolt resistant — excellent summer lettuce, outperforms larger varieties
• Outstanding for home & specialty markets — beautiful and practical
• Open-pollinated heirloom — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Direct sow outdoors in early spring (2–4 weeks before last frost) or late summer for fall harvest. Sow seeds ⅛ inch deep — lettuce needs light to germinate, so barely cover. Space or thin to 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart. Full sun to part shade — shade helps in warm weather. Keep soil consistently moist. Succession sow every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest. Harvest whole heads when baseball-sized, or pick outer leaves for cut-and-come-again.

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