Prickly lettuce has spiny leaf midribs and milky sap. It's common in vacant lots and edges, and mowing keeps it out of lawns.
- Scientific name
- Lactuca serriola
- Type
- Annual or biennial broadleaf
- Most visible
- May–September
How to Identify Prickly Lettuce
- Leaves with prickles along the underside of the midrib
- Milky sap
- Small yellow flowers
- Tall upright stem
When It Shows Up in Oklahoma Lawns
Germinates in fall or spring and bolts in summer.
How to Control Prickly Lettuce
- Mow regularly
- Pull young plants
- Spot-treat with a selective herbicide labeled for the weed and safe for your grass type, following the label exactly