Cilantro

Cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant (Coriandrum sativum), a fast-growing herb in the carrot and parsley family. People eat its fresh leaves as cilantro and its dried seeds as the spice coriander. It is also called Chinese parsley or dhania.

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Cilantro
Scientific name	Coriandrum sativum
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Apiales
Family	Apiaceae
Genus	Coriandrum
Type	Annual herb
Habitat	Sunny spots with well-drained soil
Native range	North Africa, southern Europe, southwest Asia
Colours	Pink or white flowers
Height	Up to 50 cm
Edible parts	Leaves (cilantro) and seeds (coriander)

What Is Cilantro?

Cilantro is an annual, which means it grows, flowers, makes seeds and dies within one year. It belongs to the Apiaceae family, along with carrots, parsley, dill and fennel.

Its leaves have a strong, fresh smell and are used in salsa, curries, salads and noodle dishes all over the world. In the United States the leaves are called cilantro and the seeds coriander. In the UK and many other countries, the whole plant is simply called coriander.

Some people think cilantro tastes like soap! Scientists have found that this is partly because of genes that affect how people smell certain chemicals in the leaves.

What It Looks Like

Cilantro is a soft, delicate plant that grows to about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall. Its leaves change shape as the plant grows. The lower leaves are broad with rounded lobes, while the leaves higher up the flowering stems are thin and feathery.

The tiny flowers are white or pale pink and grow in small umbrella-shaped clusters called umbels. The petals pointing outward from the cluster are longer than the ones pointing toward the middle. After flowering, the plant makes round seeds that turn brown as they dry.

Where It Comes From

Cilantro is native to a region that stretches from southern Europe and North Africa to southwest Asia. People have grown it for thousands of years, and today it is grown in gardens and farms around the world.

How to Grow Cilantro at Home

Sun and Soil

Cilantro grows best in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. In hot areas, a little afternoon shade helps. You can grow it in a corner of a vegetable garden, an herb bed or a pot.

When and How to Plant

• Cilantro likes cool weather. Plant it in spring after the last frost, or in fall in places with mild winters. In the warm Southwest of the US, fall planting lets it grow through the winter into spring.
• Avoid planting in the heat of summer. Hot weather makes cilantro “bolt,” which means it quickly sends up a flower stalk. Leaves from bolted plants are smaller and can taste bitter.
• Sow seeds about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart. Later, thin the seedlings so they are about 6 inches apart.
• For a steady supply of leaves, sow a new batch every two to three weeks.

Watering

• Keep the soil evenly moist, especially while the seedlings are small. About 1 inch of water a week is a good guide.
• Once the plants are established they need a little less, but don’t let them dry out completely, because stress can make them bolt.
• Avoid soggy soil, which can rot the roots.

Care

Cilantro doesn’t need much fertilizer. A light feeding with a balanced or nitrogen fertilizer once or twice during the season is plenty. Too much fertilizer can make the leaves less tasty.

Spread a layer of mulch around the plants once they are up. Mulch keeps the soil moist and cool and stops weeds. Pull weeds gently by hand so you don’t disturb the shallow roots.

Flowering and Seeds

As the weather warms up, cilantro naturally finishes its life cycle. It grows a tall stalk, flowers and makes seeds. Bees and other helpful insects love the flowers. If you leave some seeds to fall, new plants will often pop up by themselves in fall or the next spring.

Pests and Problems

Cilantro is fairly easy to grow, but watch for:

• Aphids, small sap-sucking insects under the leaves
• Leafhoppers
• Powdery mildew, a white powdery coating on the leaves
• Wilt diseases

Spray aphids off with water or use insecticidal soap. To help prevent mildew and wilt, give plants space for air to flow, water the soil rather than the leaves, and clear away dead plant material.

Harvesting and Storing

• Start picking leaves when the plants are about 6 inches tall. Cut the larger outer stems near the base and let the center keep growing.
• Don’t take more than about a third of the plant at once.
• Fresh cilantro keeps best in the fridge with the stems in a glass of water, loosely covered with a bag.
• To collect seeds, wait until the seed heads turn brown. Cut the stems, tie them in bunches and hang them upside down with a paper bag over the heads. The dry seeds fall into the bag.
• Store dried seeds in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. You can use them as coriander spice or save some to plant next year.

Varieties to Try

Choose a slow-bolting variety for the most leaves. Popular choices include ‘Slow Bolt’, ‘Calypso’, ‘Santo’, ‘Leisure’ and ‘Long Standing’. These take longer to flower, so you can keep harvesting for longer.

Cilantro FAQs

Related: herb garden