Rouge d'Hiver
Rouge d'Hiver is a heirloom lettuce. Germination takes 7-14 days and fruit ripens from about day 55-65. Skin runs to deep burgundy red outer leaves with bright green hearts. Water need is 1 inch per week, consistent but not waterlogged. Suits zones 2-11. It will crop in a container.

Sowing
Direct sow in late summer for fall/winter harvest. Can succession plant in cool weather. Start indoors for spring crops.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 1 inch per week, consistent but not waterlogged
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile soil with good organic content
- Soil pH
- 6.2-6.8
- Spacing
- 8-10 inches
- Height
- 6-12 inches
- Season
- Warm season annual
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Deep burgundy red outer leaves with bright green hearts
- Size
- 6-8 inch heads, individual leaves 3-4 inches wide
- Shape
- Compact romaine heads with upright growth habit
- Flavour
- Sweet, crisp, and nutty with no bitterness even in cold weather
In the kitchen
Caesar salads, mixed greens, braising. Excellent for adding color contrast to salad mixes.
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Aphids, slugs, cutworms, deer
- Diseases
- Downy mildew, lettuce drop, bacterial leaf spot
- Resistance
- Excellent cold tolerance and resistance to bolting in heat
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | — | June – July | August – September |
| 2 | — | — | May – July | July – September |
| 3 | — | — | May – June | July – October |
| 4 | — | — | April – June | June – October |
| 5 | — | — | April – May | June – November |
| 6 | — | — | April – May | June – November |
| 7 | — | — | March – May | May – November |
| 8 | — | — | March – April | May – December |
| 9 | — | — | February – March | April – December |
| 10 | — | — | January – March | March – December |
| 11 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 12 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
| 13 | — | — | January – February | February – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Protein (g)
- 0.742
- Fat (g)
- 0.0738
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 3.37
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 20.5
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.0401
- Calcium (mg)
- 14.2
- Iron (mg)
- 0.0332
- Magnesium (mg)
- 6.31
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 19.2
- Potassium (mg)
- 139
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.173
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Rouge d'Hiver?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other lettuce with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Rouge d'Hiver suits these too.
- Bibb 55 days
- Butterhead Boston 55 days
- Salanova Green Oakleaf 55 days
- Salanova Green Crispy 55 days
- New Red Fire 55 days
- Buttercrunch 55 days