# common cornsalad (*Valerianella locusta*)

Common cornsalad is a leafy green plant that grows close to the ground. It has small, tender leaves that are often used in salads. This plant is easy to spot in gardens and fields!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** Lamb's Lettuce, Mache

![common cornsalad](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Valerianella_locusta_-_inflorescences_and_Leaf.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Valerianella_locusta_-_inflorescences_and_Leaf.jpg)

## Appearance

The common cornsalad has small, rounded to spatula-shaped leaves that form a dense, low-growing rosette. Its tiny, pale blue or white flowers cluster at the stem tips, often going unnoticed due to their size.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Dipsacales
- **Family:** Caprifoliaceae
- **Genus:** Valerianella

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans might have munched on its tender leaves long ago!
- It's sometimes known as "Mache" in fancy restaurants!
- Its tiny blue-white flowers are so small, they're easily missed!
- This leafy green is a distant cousin to the calming valerian herb.

## Special abilities

- **Winter Warrior:** Common cornsalad can withstand cold temperatures, allowing it to grow and be harvested even when other plants hibernate.
- **Speedy Sprout:** Common cornsalad completes its life cycle quickly, producing seeds fast to ensure new generations emerge rapidly.
- **Seed Scatterer:** Common cornsalad has seeds that readily self-sow, helping it spread and pop up again year after year on its own.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its tiny flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [European rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — Rabbits often browse on its tender, soft leaves.
- **Eaten by:** [Roe deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Deer enjoy grazing on its readily available foliage.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — Slugs can munch on its leaves, especially in damp conditions.

## Traits

- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash plants before eating them, and ask an adult for help!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify common cornsalad?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is common cornsalad?

10-30 cm

### How wide does common cornsalad spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on common cornsalad?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does common cornsalad bloom?

Late spring to early summer

### Is common cornsalad edible?

Yes

### Is common cornsalad toxic?

None

### What is common cornsalad's lifecycle?

Annual

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Common Cornsalad: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-cornsalad)