When should I harvest?

Harvest the entire rosette when leaves are about 5 to 10 centimeters long.

Yes, it will quickly go to seed once temperatures rise in late spring.

Plant guide

Corn Salad.

Valerianella locusta

Pronounced va-lee-ree-ah-NEL-lah lo-KUS-tah

Also known as Common Cornsalad, Cornsalad, Cornsalad, Lamb's Lettuce, European cornsalad

common cornsalad — Photo by Christian Berg (CC BY) via iNaturalist

Corn salad is a delightful, cool weather green that grows in small, tender rosettes. It is perfect for adding a mild, nutty flavor to your winter and spring salads. You will love how easily it thrives when other greens struggle in the chill.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual vegetable
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 2 to 4 days
Mature size: 6 inches
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 5 to 9
Bloom time: Mid to late spring

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist to prevent the leaves from turning bitter. Watch for signs of bolting as temperatures rise, which signals it is time to harvest the entire plant. It prefers cooler temperatures and will grow best in the shoulder seasons.

Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist but never waterlogged to ensure the best leaf quality.
Feeding: A light application of balanced organic fertilizer helps keep the leaves growing quickly.
Pruning: Harvest individual outer leaves as needed or cut the entire rosette at the base.
Repotting: This is an annual plant typically grown directly in garden beds or containers from seed.
Soil: Well draining, fertile soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0
Temperature: -15 to 25°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%
Drought tolerance: Low
Lifespan: Annual, typically 6 to 9 months.
Deer and rabbits: Moderate

Safety

People: None known.
Children: No specific concerns, though small children should be supervised around any garden plants.
Edibility: Wash leaves thoroughly to remove soil particles that often cling to the low growing rosettes.

How to identify it

Small spoon shaped leaves
Forms compact basal rosettes
Bright green succulent foliage
Tiny pale blue flowers

Height: 0.1 to 0.3m
Spread: 0.1 to 0.2m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: white, pale blue, 0.2 to 0.5cm
Fruit: brown, Spring

Problems to watch for

By symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: early spring, late summer, early autumn
Overwintering: In mild climates, it stays green all winter. In colder areas, cover with a light row cover to protect leaves from severe frost.
In containers: It grows very well in shallow containers or window boxes, requiring a minimum depth of 15 centimeters.

Direct Sowing

Prepare a fine seedbed in cool soil.
Sow seeds 1 centimeter deep in rows.
Keep soil consistently moist until germination.

Plant in succession every few weeks to ensure a continuous supply of fresh leaves throughout the cool season.

Grows well with

Radish · They share similar cool season requirements and growth habits.
Spinach · Both are excellent cool season greens that can be interplanted.

Similar species

Winter Purslane · Another hardy salad green that thrives in similar cool conditions.

Science

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Valerianella
Order: Dipsacales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa.
Conservation: Not of conservation concern.

It thrives in cool, moist conditions and often colonizes disturbed soil or grain fields.

Value to wildlife: early season nectar source
Pollinators: bees
Uses: culinary salad green, winter vegetable crop

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 6/9
Temperature: 4/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

When should I harvest?: Harvest the entire rosette when leaves are about 5 to 10 centimeters long.
Does it bolt?: Yes, it will quickly go to seed once temperatures rise in late spring.

Where the name comes from

Valerianella is a diminutive of Valeriana, referring to its resemblance to valerian plants, while locusta refers to its historical association with locusts or grain fields.

Good to know

It is incredibly cold hardy and can often be harvested through winter.
The leaves have a mild, nutty flavor.
It was historically considered a weed in grain fields, hence the name corn salad.

Keep your corn salad growing

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.