Frank H. Morton (born 1955 in Fayette County, West Virginia) is an organic farmer, gardener, plant breeder and seedsman known for creating dozens of varieties of lettuce.
[1] Growing up in West Virginia, he moved to Oregon in the 1970s to attend Lewis & Clark College, graduating with a BS in Child Psychology in 1978.
Cross-pollination between two varieties led to formation of a novel hybrid with a combination of characteristics from the parent plants.
[1][3] More recently, Morton has been selecting lettuce varieties for resistance to common diseases such as downy mildew.
[3][6][8] In addition to lettuce, Morton has also grown and bred other types of vegetables, including beets,[4] peppers,[9] kale,[9] and quinoa.