

Cilantro is an herb that grows quickly in cool seasons (harvest the leaves before it flowers for the best flavor) and a doubly useful culinary plant because its seeds are the spice we call coriander.
In a love affair with cilantro, timing is everything. Turn your back and it may bolt.
The leaves of C. sativum are called cilantro and the seeds coriander. Cilantro is a cool-season fast-grower. Best to plant in spring and fall because summer heat could prompt bolting, a premature growth of flowers and seeds. All is not lost, however. Harvest, dry, and grind the coriander seeds. Slow-bolting cilantro varieties such as ‘Costa Rica’, ‘Leisure’, and ‘Long Standing’ are worth a try. Cilantro is packed with vitamins A, K, and C, and also is a heavy-metal detoxifier.