In California fields, lettuce plants struggle in heat, a trait that could threaten production as the planet’s climate continues to change and grow warmer. But a wild lettuce variety found outside a California gas station might just be the key to develop lettuce capable of withstanding higher temperatures.

In the 1980s, a University of California researcher noticed the variety of wild lettuce as she passed by a vacant lot next to a gas station. It was thriving in the sweltering late summer heat. Today, scientists at UC Davis are exploring using advanced plant breeding methods to develop lettuce varieties that have the same heat-tolerance as their wild cousins and the same great taste you expect. 

Learn more from this video by the American Seed Trade Association and Crop Life International.