# Wall Lettuce (*Mycelis muralis*) Wall Lettuce is a leafy plant that grows in cracks and walls. It has bright green leaves that are fun to look at and touch. This plant loves to grow in sunny places and can be found in many gardens and parks! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Wall Lettuce](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mycelis_muralis.jpeg&width=800) Photo: Kristian Peters -- Fabelfroh 07:53, 20 October 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mycelis_muralis.jpeg) ## Appearance The Wall Lettuce has distinctive, deeply lobed leaves that often show a purplish tint on their undersides. Its small, dandelion-like yellow flowers emerge on slender, branching stems, often appearing to float delicately from walls or crevices. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Mycelis ## Interesting facts - Baby wall lettuce leaves taste a bit like mild lettuce with a touch of bitterness. - Its Latin name, 'muralis', means 'of walls' because it loves growing there! - Like dandelions, its stems ooze a milky white sap when they are broken! - Some people call it 'Ivy-leaved Lettuce' because of its unique leaf shape! ## Special abilities - **Crevice Conqueror:** Wall Lettuce can root and thrive in tiny cracks in walls or pavement, helping it find new, often protected, places to grow. - **Wind Rider Seeds:** Its seeds have tiny parachutes, letting them catch the wind to spread far and wide and colonize new spots. - **Purple Power Leaves:** The underside of its leaves can turn purple, possibly helping it absorb more sunlight in shaded or low-light environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 15-80 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer, Fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits its small yellow flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** [Common drone fly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-drone-fly) (*Syrphus ribesii*) — adults visit flowers for nectar, aiding pollination. - **Eaten by:** [Garden snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — snails and slugs frequently graze on its tender leaves. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Wall Lettuce? 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 Wall Lettuce? 15-80 cm ### How wide does Wall Lettuce spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Wall Lettuce? 0.5-1 cm ### When does Wall Lettuce bloom? Summer, Fall ### Is Wall Lettuce edible? Yes ### Is Wall Lettuce toxic? None ### What is Wall Lettuce's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Randolph Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/randolph-center-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Englishman River Falls Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/englishman-river-falls-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Valhalla Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/valhalla-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Canaan Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canaan-street-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Elwha Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elwha-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Harvard Shaker Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/harvard-shaker-village-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District [View all places to see Wall Lettuce](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wall-lettuce) ## 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*) --- Source: [Wall Lettuce: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wall-lettuce)