Not sure if you want large, crisp heads of romaine-style lettuce, or tender young greens to add to mixed salads? You can have both with Parris Island Cos romaine lettuce grown from our non-GMO, open-pollinated seeds!
This heirloom lettuce, originally developed by Clemson University and the USDA and introduced into American markets in 1952, is among the most nutritious lettuce varieties available. High in vitamins A, C, and K, and potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and folate, Parris Island Cos offers more than just fabulous texture and flavor.
And it's hardy and easy to grow! Parris Island Cos romaine is resistant to tip burn and mosaic virus, and healthy plants hold their own against other garden pests that enjoy nibbling on greens. It handles hot weather better than many varieties, meaning you can get a longer season and higher yields from successive plantings. Once harvested, they store well when kept cool. All of these traits make this variety a favorite for farmer's market vendors, or just for gardeners who want to get the most out of their home-grown produce.
How do you use Parris Island Cos in the kitchen? The variety's crisp outer leaves are a great choice to replace tortillas in sandwich wraps, and their creamy-colored hearts are often described as having a flavor similar to—but milder than—butter lettuces. The tips can turn slightly bitter when the weather gets hot, but the savory flavor is welcome to those who like their sandwiches and salads to have a little bit of kick to them.
How did this delicious, easy-to-grow lettuce get its name? Cos (actually Kos) is a Greek island where many romaine lettuces were first developed, and "Cos" and "romaine" are interchangeable labels. In other words, it's redundant to call Parris Island Cos romaine, but many seed suppliers like us do it anyway!
It's difficult to find out where, geographically, Parris Island lettuce was actually developed, but it's named after a North Carolina coastal island with a long history as a military base, coaling station, and a Confederate prison camp. Perhaps Clemson and the USDA wanted a lettuce that would help feed those based at the island's Port Royal Naval Station, and/or supply military personnel beyond coastal North Carolina. Given the lettuce's hardiness, nutritional value, and relatively long shelf life, it's a pretty good guess.
SOWING THE SEED
Lettuce seeds can be started indoors, or directly outdoors as well. If started indoors, choose large peat pots, at least 4 inches tall and 4 inches wide. Sow the seeds in groups of 4, at a depth of 1/16" under topsoil, so that they are barely covered. Transplant entire peat pots outdoors, or direct sow when the weather has become warm. Do not sow deeper than the recommended sowing depth mentioned above, as Lettuce will require a bit of direct light to germinate properly.
GROWING CONDITIONS
Here's what you need to know about choosing the right garden spot for this slow-to-bolt, easy-to-grow romaine lettuce:
Sunlight requirements: Give your Parris Island Cos lettuce 6-8 hours of direct sunlight each day. In hotter climates, or when planting midsummer crops, they will do better with a little less direct sunlight, or with light shade in the hottest part of the day.
Soil requirements: Plant seeds or transplants into humus-rich soil to facilitate drainage.
pH: 6.0 to 6.5
Watering requirements: Keep all lettuce varieties consistently moist, and water them in the morning, so the leaves have time to dry. Water at ground level whenever possible when you're aiming for full-grown heads; overhead watering with a fine mist is acceptable for baby greens.
GERMINATION & GROWTH
You'll love how quickly Parris Island romaine gets going in your garden, and how it will look among your other vegetables. Their gray-green tops, especially when planted close together, are pleasing to the eye. Baby greens are tender yet resilient, and can be grown in raised beds, flats, and directly in the soil.
- Days to germination: 7-14 days
- Plant height: 10" to 12" tall
- Plant width: 8" to 10" wide
- Growth habit: Upright, compact heads
- Days to maturity: 75 for full heads, 18-21 for baby greens
Front Side
Seed packets by Seed Needs are beautifully illustrated and provide a colorful depiction of the variety inside. We provide the common name, as well as the scientific name, seed quantity and a few specs about the variety to be grown.
Back Side
Each packet contains full growing instructions on the reverse side. Specifications on sowing the seed, growing conditions such as sunlight and moisture preferences and germination and growth information can be found as well. We also provide a QR to scan for easy reordering.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
- Always Non-GMO / Untreated.
- Stored in a temperature controlled facility that's free of moisture.
- Always packaged for the current and the following growing seasons.
- True to the varieties advertised.
- 99% pure seed with no added fillers.
Always fresh and intended for the current and following growing seasons. Seeds are packaged in water resistant / tear resistant packaging.
Heirlooms are varieties that have been purposely bred, selected and passed down from generation to generation. They are wholesome picks that will breed true to the parent seed every time.
Seed Needs never knowingly purchases treated seeds products. We also do not treat any of our seed products with substances such as neonicotinoid or thyram.
Seed Needs promises to never knowingly purchase or supply genetically modified seed products. We take the Safe Seed Pledge!
A SEED COMPANY ON A MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!
A SEED COMPANY ON A
MISSION FOR CHANGE
Seed Needs has been providing gardeners with quality seed products since 2010 and has shipped millions of packets to happy customers all over the US. We offer flowers, herbs, vegetables, vines, wildflower blends, seed packet collections and seed packet favors.
With the success of our brand, we have kept our promise to continually donate to different organizations and personally sponsor children all over the globe each and every month. We grew our sponsorships from just 1 child to over 100 children worldwide in only a few years. We would like to sincerely thank all who support us because it wouldn't be possible without you!
Check out our charitable contributions!