Wild Lettuce

Lactuca spp. (L. canadensis, L. sativa, & L. virosa)

Wild Lettuce

This plant is related to common lettuce; Lactuca sativa, but as it’s common name suggest is a wild species. Wild lettuce is cultivated in Austria, France, Germany and Scotland and can be collected from the wild across the southern United States where it has become naturalized, and from Northern and Eastern Europe. Opium Lettuce, another common names for Wild Lettuce harkens to the milky latex substance that exudes when the plant is broken, which was prepared as a substitute for Opium in the 1900’s by physicians. A preparation from wild lettuce was described in the United States Dispensatory of 1898. Although the prepared latex resin from the plant is purported to have some of the same properties as opium, the effects are much more mild and it is not chemically related to any of the opiate drugs.

What is Wild Lettuce Used For?

Wild lettuce has been used historically to support nerves and promote restful sleep.* It is a bitter plant and therefore has some historical use for supporting digestion. The chemical constituents found in Wild Lettuce in the milky latex or Lactucarium have been studied for various properties relating to the central nervous system and pain centers in the brain.* Lactucin one of the chemicals is classified as a Sesquiterpene Lactone and the research centers on its action as an adenosine receptor agonist.*