Growing Cilantro: Tips at a Glance
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.
- Type Aromatic herb
- Lifespan Biennial
- USDA Zones All
- Water 1 inch per week
- Growing Season Spring, fall
- Summer Too hot, they will bolt
- Sun Full, partial shade
- Care Tip Snip often, gets leggy
- Companion Herbs Mint, basil, parsley
- Perk Entire plant edible
Cilantro: A Field Guide
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.
