Herb · Apiaceae
Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
Give it cool weather and steady moisture, and cilantro hands you fresh leaves in just a few weeks.
Full sun
Every 2–4 days
50–75°F · 10–24°C
45–70 days
Overview
Cilantro is the fast, cool-weather herb behind countless salsas, curries, and noodle bowls. It belongs to the carrot family and grows the same plant twice over: the fresh leaves are sold as cilantro, and the dried seeds become the spice coriander. From seed to first harvest takes only 4 to 6 weeks, which makes it one of the quickest herbs you can grow.
The catch is its short fuse. Cilantro is a cool-season annual, and once summer heat and long days arrive it bolts, sending up a flower stalk and turning its leaves thin and bitter. The way around that is simple timing. Sow in the cool of spring and again in fall, and keep a fresh patch coming with a new sowing every few weeks.
It grows just as well in a garden bed as in a pot on a bright sill, reaching 8 to 35 inches (20 to 90 cm) by the time it flowers. Give it cool soil, steady water, and a little afternoon shade in the heat, and you trade a bolting plant for a long run of leaves.
Care
The short version: full sun to a little afternoon shade, soil kept evenly moist and on the cool side, and a fresh sowing every few weeks so a bolting plant is always being replaced.
Light
Cilantro grows best in full sun, but in hot regions a spell of afternoon shade is a real help, since shading the plant keeps it cooler and slows the rush to bolt. Indoors, give it the brightest window you have.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while the plant is establishing and putting on leaves, watering every 2 to 4 days as it dries. Steady moisture and cool soil are what hold off bolting. Don't let it sit soggy, though, because cilantro dislikes waterlogged, humid ground.
Soil
Plant in rich, well-drained loam with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Good drainage matters most here, since the taproot rots in soil that stays wet and cold.
Temperature
This is a cool-season herb that thrives between 50°F and 75°F (10°C to 24°C). Once the heat climbs past the top of that range, the plant reads it as a signal to flower and the leaf harvest winds down.
Humidity
Average humidity of 40% to 60% suits it fine. Damp, stagnant air is the thing to avoid, because crowded, humid conditions are what bring on leaf spot.
Feeding
Cilantro needs little feeding. A light hand with nitrogen during the growing season is plenty, and overdoing it actually thins the flavor of the leaves.
Pruning
Start cutting the outer leaves once plants reach 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) tall, which keeps them bushy and productive. Pinch off any flower stalks as they appear to stretch the leaf harvest, or let them stand if you want the plant to set coriander seed.
Repotting
not_typically_repotted
Size & spacing
Plants run from 8 to 35 inches (20 to 90 cm) tall, short and leafy at first and taller once the flower stalk rises. Give each one room and good airflow, spreading 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm), so the foliage dries quickly and leaf spot stays away.
When to plant
Cilantro runs on cool weather and has a short window before heat sends it to flower. Sow it in early spring once frost has passed, sow again in early fall, and keep a steady supply going by starting a new patch every few weeks rather than counting on one planting to last.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Late winter to early spring, 4-6 weeks before last frost (transplants carefully due to taproot)
- Plant: Early spring after danger of frost and again in early fall; it is a cool-season crop that bolts in summer heat
- Harvest: Cut leaves young and often for cilantro; for coriander seed, allow plants to flower and set seed, harvesting when seed heads turn brown
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–11
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Almost every cilantro problem traces back to one of two things: heat that triggers bolting, or wet conditions that invite rot and leaf spot. Catch the early signs and you can usually keep the harvest going. Match what you see below, then act while it still helps.
Seedlings topple at the soil line or never come up
This is damping-off, a fungal rot that takes hold in cold, soggy ground. The seedlings pinch off at a water-soaked stem base and fall over, often before they ever clear the surface. Pull the affected ones, ease off the water, and re-sow into well-drained soil once it has warmed and dried.
Fix:
- Remove affected seedlings
- Improve drainage and reduce watering frequency
- Re-sow in well-drained soil once conditions allow
A tall flower stalk shoots up and leaf growth stops
This is bolting, and it's the most common cilantro problem of all. Once heat builds and the days grow long, the plant switches from making leaves to making flowers, the foliage turns thin and feathery, and the flavor fades. Cut what leaves are left, or let it flower and run to seed for coriander, then sow a fresh batch in cooler weather or a shaded spot.
Fix:
- Harvest remaining leaves promptly before flavor declines
- Allow plant to flower and set seed for coriander harvest
- Sow a fresh succession of seed in a cooler period or shaded spot
Dark, angular spots on the leaves you want to eat
This is bacterial leaf spot, which spreads fast on wet foliage and crowded plants. Small dark lesions appear on the leaves and run together in humid spells. Strip off the marked foliage, water at the soil line instead of overhead, and open the planting up so air can move through.
Fix:
- Remove and discard affected foliage
- Avoid overhead watering and wetting leaves
- Improve spacing and air movement
Stippled, yellowing leaves with bugs on the new growth
Leafhoppers and aphids are the usual culprits, clustering on tender shoots and leaving the leaves yellow or twisted. Leafhoppers can also pass along aster yellows, so pull any plant that looks stunted and discolored. Knock the rest off with a hard spray of water and let cilantro's own flowers draw in the beneficial insects that hunt them.
Fix:
- Dislodge pests with a strong spray of water
- Remove heavily infested foliage
- Encourage beneficial insects, which cilantro flowers attract
Toxicity
Cilantro is about as safe as a plant gets. The ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, and it is a culinary herb that people eat by the handful. A pet that nibbles the foliage has nothing to fear, though a very large mouthful of any greenery can upset a stomach for a day.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Safe to have around cats. The ASPCA lists cilantro as non-toxic, so a curious nibble does no harm.
Dogs None
No worries with dogs either. A dog that chews a few leaves is fine, though a big mouthful of any greenery can loosen the stomach for a day.
Horses Safe
Horses can graze it without trouble. It carries no toxin that affects them.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits take to the fresh leaves happily, and a handful makes a fine treat alongside their hay.
Livestock Safe
Goats, sheep, and cattle can eat the foliage with no ill effect.
Birds Safe
Pet birds and backyard hens can share the leaves and the seeds without any risk.
People Safe
This is a kitchen herb through and through. The leaves and the seeds are both good to eat, raw or cooked.
Generally regarded as safe; as with any plant, ingesting large amounts of foliage may cause mild, transient gastrointestinal upset in pets.
Varieties
Most named cilantro varieties are bred for one thing above all: holding off the bolt that ends the leaf harvest. A few worth knowing by name follow.
Santo
A widely grown slow-bolting type that holds its leaf production a little longer before it runs to flower.
Caribe
Reported to bolt somewhat less readily than the standard kinds in warm weather.
Leisure
A slow-to-bolt selection prized for stretching out the leaf harvest.
Delfino
A fern-leaf type with finely cut, feathery foliage that sets it apart from the usual flat leaves.
How to propagate
Cilantro is grown one way, straight from seed, and it does not take to being moved. The good news is that seed is cheap and quick, so keeping a supply going is mostly a matter of sowing often.
SeedEasy
Early spring and early fall; succession-sow every few weeks because it bolts quickly · Germinates in about 7-21 days; leaves ready to harvest in roughly 4-6 weeks
Cilantro is grown from seed sown right where it will live, since the long taproot resents being moved. Seed comes up in 7 to 21 days, and you can start cutting leaves in 4 to 6 weeks. Because it bolts so fast, sow a fresh patch every few weeks to keep the harvest going. Thin the seedlings for leaf production, or give them wider spacing if you are growing the plants on for coriander seed.
Myths
Cilantro and coriander come from two different plants.
They are one and the same plant, Coriandrum sativum. The fresh leaves go by cilantro, or coriander leaf, while the dried seeds are sold as coriander. It is simply two names for two parts of the same herb.