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Cilantro illustration
Herbs · Annual

Cilantro

Coriandrum sativum

Delicate leaves for cool-season harvests.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Aim for cooler conditions

Cilantro quickly runs to flower in hot weather. Cooler growing periods are better suited to a leafy crop.

02

Keep moisture moderate

Choose moist but well-drained soil, in sun or light shade. Avoid treating it like a dry-soil Mediterranean herb.

03

Leaves and seeds are different crops

Leaves and stems are cilantro; mature seeds are coriander. Decide whether you want leafy growth or a seed harvest.

Care guide · NC State ExtensionSource checked 14 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
2+ hours of sun (sun or part shade)Source-backed
Moisture
Moderate moistureSource interpretation
Soil pH
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Drainage
Moist, well-drainedSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
loamSource-backed
Plant spacing
≈ 20 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 25 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 50 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
cool-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Sun or partial shade is listed. 2+ hours is a broad category, not a yield guarantee.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Moisture

Qualitative moisture preference from the growing description; ordinal model, not a measured watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Soil pH

No precise numeric pH range verified. Broad acid/neutral/alkaline tags are not converted into invented bounds.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Drainage

Free drainage is recommended; the ordinal distinction is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Soil texture

Listed or described textures are examples, not an exhaustive list of tolerances. Unlisted texture alone is not a hard exclusion.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Plant spacing

Cultivar-dependent planning allowance, not a verified universal planting distance.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Growing depth

Approximate planning value; cultivar, growth stage and container form change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Typical height

Approximate planning value; cultivar, growth stage and container form change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-14
Growing season

Broad growth preference only; excluded from scoring because no location or planting date is known.

Source · checked 2026-09-14