What is the point of the inner leaves of lettuce?

The “head” of iceberg lettuce is only a part of the growing plant: The outer leaves do the “heavy lifting” in photosynthesis. read more

The outer leaves do the “heavy lifting” in photosynthesis. If a lettuce plant is allowed to flower and set seed (bad for eating, but required to make new generations of lettuce plants), the inner leaves become the upper leaves, where they can contribute to the energy budget of the plant. read more

As soon as the lettuce leaves reach a couple of inches in length, you can begin harvesting “baby lettuce.” To harvest individual lettuce leaves, use scissors to cut off the outer leaves near the base of the plant. Leave the inner leaves intact and the entire plant will continue to grow. read more

And within a single head of lettuce, the darker outer leaves, which are exposed to more sunlight, are more nutritious than the paler inner ones. Specifically, darker green lettuce leaves are likely to be significantly higher in beta carotene, folate, vitamins C and K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. read more