What Types of Leaves Are in Spring Mix?

December 21, 2025 •

3 min read

Spring mix, also known as mesclun, often contains up to 16 different fresh greens, providing a diverse range of flavors and textures. This popular packaged salad blend is a convenient way to add a variety of baby lettuces and leafy greens to your diet. Understanding what types of leaves are in spring mix can help you appreciate its culinary and nutritional value.

Quick Summary

Spring mix is a blend of young, tender salad greens often featuring a variety of baby lettuces, spinach, arugula, and other leafy vegetables. The exact composition varies by brand, but the mix provides a range of flavors, colors, and textures for salads and other dishes.

Key Points

Variety is Key: Spring mix is not a single type of lettuce but a blend of many different baby leaves, offering a range of flavors and textures.
Diverse Flavor Profile: The mix can contain mild, sweet lettuces like baby romaine and butter lettuce, alongside spicy greens such as arugula and mustard greens.
Nutrient-Dense: Due to its varied components, spring mix is a rich source of vitamins A, C, and K, plus antioxidants and fiber.
Common Additions: In addition to lettuces, ingredients often include baby spinach, Swiss chard, radicchio, endive, mizuna, and tatsoi.
Mesclun Origin: Originally called 'mesclun' in France, the term referred to a specific combination of tender wild greens.
DIY Potential: You can create your own custom spring mix at home by growing or buying individual baby greens to suit your taste.
Quality and Storage: The freshness and specific contents of the mix can vary significantly by brand and packaging method.

What is Spring Mix?

Spring mix, or mesclun, is a delicate blend of young, leafy vegetables harvested before they reach maturity. This practice ensures the leaves are tender and have a milder flavor compared to their fully-grown counterparts. The composition is not standardized; it can vary significantly depending on the producer, season, and market. This diversity is what gives spring mix its complex, well-rounded flavor profile, which can range from sweet and mild to peppery and slightly bitter. While many modern versions are packaged and available year-round, the tradition traces back to Provence, France, where farmers would mix tender, wild-harvested greens.

Common Lettuces in Spring Mix

Baby lettuces form the foundation of most spring mixes, contributing a mild flavor and tender texture. These are typically harvested early to maintain their delicate nature.

Red and Green Oak Leaf Lettuce: These contribute a mild, buttery flavor and a distinctive, ruffled leaf shape.
Lollo Rossa: This Italian variety adds frilly, red-tipped leaves that provide color and a soft, mild taste.
Red and Green Romaine: Using baby versions of this sturdy lettuce adds a sweet flavor and a pleasant, subtle crunch.
Butter Lettuce (Bibb): Known for its incredibly smooth, tender texture and mild, sweet flavor.

Flavor-Enhancing Greens

To add complexity and a spicy kick, other, more pungent greens are mixed in with the mild lettuces.

Arugula (Rocket): This green provides a distinct peppery, nutty flavor that is a hallmark of many mesclun blends.
Mizuna: A fast-growing Japanese mustard green with feathery leaves and a mildly spicy, slightly tangy taste.
Mustard Greens: Both red and green mustard varieties can be included, offering a spicy, vibrant bite.
Watercress: This aquatic green adds a sharp, peppery taste.

Other Nutrient-Rich Additions

Beyond lettuces, spring mix often incorporates other powerful leafy greens for added nutrition, color, and texture.

Baby Spinach: This popular inclusion provides a dark green color, a sturdy leaf, and a distinct flavor.
Radicchio: A beautiful, stiff red-and-white chicory that contributes a bold, slightly bitter flavor and crunch.
Endive (Frisée): The finely cut, curly leaves of this chicory add volume and a mildly tangy flavor.
Swiss Chard: Baby chard leaves add a mild, earthy flavor and can introduce different colors, like red stems, to the mix.
Tatsoi: A cold-hardy Asian green with spoon-shaped leaves and a mild, slightly peppery flavor.

Comparison of Common Spring Mix Ingredients


Leaf Type	Flavor Profile	Texture	Typical Role in Mix
Baby Spinach	Mild, earthy	Sturdy, soft	Base green, adds substance
Arugula	Peppery, nutty	Tender, delicate	Flavor accent, adds spice
Red Leaf Lettuce	Mild, sweet	Frilly, soft	Adds color and volume
Radicchio	Bold, bitter	Crisp, crunchy	Flavor contrast, adds color
Mizuna	Mildly spicy, tangy	Feathery, delicate	Adds unique shape and texture

Beyond the Package: Customizing Your Spring Mix

While pre-packaged spring mix is incredibly convenient, understanding its components allows for a DIY approach. By growing or purchasing individual baby greens, you can craft your own custom blend. You might combine a mild base of butter lettuce with a punch of fresh arugula and the slight bitterness of endive. Homegrown mesclun can be harvested using the "cut-and-come-again" method, allowing for multiple harvests from a single planting. This ensures a continuous supply of fresh, tender leaves throughout the growing season.

Conclusion: A Diverse and Nutritious Choice

Ultimately, a spring mix is more than just a bag of mixed greens; it's a carefully selected medley of baby leaves chosen for their synergistic flavors, textures, and nutritional benefits. From the mild, buttery crunch of romaine to the sharp, peppery bite of arugula, each component plays a role in creating a balanced and exciting culinary experience. This variety ensures a nutrient-dense salad, rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as essential minerals and antioxidants. Whether enjoyed straight from the package or assembled from scratch, knowing what types of leaves are in spring mix deepens your appreciation for this simple yet sophisticated staple. For those interested in sourcing local and seasonal greens, visiting a local farmer's market is a great way to find new varieties and speak with vendors.

One authoritative outbound link: Mesclun: Three traditional salad mixes

Frequently Asked Questions

Spring mix and mesclun are essentially the same product in modern usage, referring to a blend of young, tender salad greens. Historically, mesclun had a more specific, traditional recipe originating in France, but today the terms are often used interchangeably for a diverse mix of baby leaves.

Yes, many commercial spring mix blends include baby spinach as a primary ingredient. Spinach adds a sturdy texture and a deeper, earthy flavor profile to the mix, along with a significant nutritional boost.

No, the flavor profile of spring mix is complex and varied. While it contains mild, sweet lettuces, it also incorporates peppery and slightly bitter greens like arugula, mustard greens, and radicchio to create a balanced mix.

Yes, spring mix is a very healthy and nutrient-dense food. It is low in calories but rich in vitamins A, C, and K, folate, fiber, and antioxidants, contributing to a variety of health benefits.

The exact ingredients can often be found listed on the packaging. However, visually, you can look for different leaf shapes, colors (from vibrant green to red and purple), and textures to identify varieties like oak leaf, romaine, spinach, and arugula.

The delicate nature of the baby leaves in spring mix makes them prone to bruising and damage during transit, which accelerates spoilage. Trapped moisture in the packaging is another common cause of sliminess, so storing it with a paper towel can extend its life.

Yes, spring mix is well-suited for home gardening using the "cut-and-come-again" method. By planting a mix of different lettuce and green seeds, you can have a continuous supply of fresh, tender baby leaves.