Lactuca sibirica aka Siberian Lettuce

Lactuca sibirica is a perennial in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Its native range spans northern and eastern Europe and temperate Asia. Kew places its eastern limit in North Korea. Plants For A Future also lists China, Mongolia, and Japan. European records include Finland, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Ukraine, and Russia. The RHS does not list it as native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant reaches about 3.3 feet [1 metre] in height. It grows in woods and scrub across its range. It also occurs on sand and gravel near rivers. These habitats include both wooded ground and more open sites. The supplied sources give no species-level account of leaf shape. They also lack details of its stems and fruit. Its flowers have both male and female organs. Insects pollinate them, but the sources give no flowering months.

Plants For A Future lists moist soil as its preference. It accepts sandy and loamy soils with good drainage. The listed pH range runs from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. It can grow in full sun or light shade. The source places it at woodland edges and in dappled shade. Its more detailed growing notes draw on the genus, however. Treat those notes as guidance rather than tested species-specific care. British hardiness remains uncertain in that source. Its authors expect outdoor survival across much of Britain from its range. They give no firm hardiness zone or trial results.

Plants For A Future lists the leaves as edible. It describes young plants as food eaten raw or cooked. Yet it treats this use as a last resort. Its edibility score is two out of five. The source reports no confirmed toxicity specific to this species. Its warning instead draws on other members of the genus. This does not establish that the plant is harmless. The medicinal account also lacks reports specific to this species. Its proposed uses rest on broader claims about related plants.

Plants For A Future gives two ways to raise new plants. Sow seed in spring, with only a thin soil cover. It reports that seeds tend to sprout soon. Divide plants in spring as another option. Each root section needs at least one leaf bud. The source lists no other uses and flags no weed potential.