I did not harvest this plant, but the friends that did were told what they had by a native to these mountains. That person claimed that branch lettuce was becoming rare due to over harvesting. It can be eaten raw in a salad, or cooked in bacon fat.
Appalachian Gothic. All geared up for a day of work in the woods to mend the lines and tubing used in the harvest and collection of maple sap. We'll be tapping the trees next weekend. Maple Syrup, here we come!