Mâche

Garden Help > Vegetables

The Basics

Mâche, Valerianella locusta, is a small, tender salad green, also called corn salad or lamb's lettuce. It is popular in Europe but not well known here. It grows in little rosettes and has a mild, slightly nutty flavor.

When to plant

• Direct seed or transplant 2 to 4 inches apart August through October
• If you let your plants go to seed in the spring, you may get volunteer seedlings

Harvest window

• Pick leaf by leaf, cluster by cluster, or the whole plant
• Mâche will bolt (go to seed) in early spring when the weather warms

Care overview

• Mâche only grows 2 to 5 inches tall, so make sure it isn't overtaken by larger plants

Recommended Varieties for Santa Clara County^*

Big-Seeded, D'Etampes, Gala, Vit

^* Many other varieties may also do well here in Santa Clara County. This list is based on UC Master Gardener trials, taste tests, and feedback from local growers.