PlantFiles: Coriander, Cilantro, Chinese Parsley
Coriandrum sativum

It's a winter growing herb here in the deep south--dormant by end of June. Sometimes its perennial and begins growing again in the fall when it cools down and sometimes its not.

Have had success and failure with this plant. Does well some years, very pooly others. Usually well in a window with good light and moderate temps. It doesn't like acidic soils.
Like other plants in this family (parsley, dill, fennel, queen anne's lace, carrots, anise) it is a host plant for Anise and Eastern Black Swallowtails.
Unless growing in a sunny window for culinary use, it's best saved for the butterfly gardens.
For me, I'll keep growing it indoors and out.

Grow this plant along with various chili peppers for use in my homemade salsa and pepper jellies. Some of it went to seed last year and now I have it popping up several places in my garden. This is a plus for me!

Zone 8; ammended clay soil; dryish, partial shade. Fastest growing herb I've tried. Planted seeds directly in ground mid fall (no cold frame). Thrived throughout the winter (even with three 72 hour freezes) Attractive bright green foliage. Now enjoying in salads, soups, salsa.

Cilantro is a bit of an aquired taste. It sort of reminds me of dishsoap, but I do like a little in guacamole. I don't use much of it, but still like to plant it.

On a whim I planted some cilantro this summer in a pot on the only porch I have: a shady stairwell. It grew, but not quickly. I transplanted some to a spot next to a south-facing window once it grew cold, and it grew quite well (even in basement apartment conditions! This should be encouragement for anyone seeking to grow indoor cilantro).

And now, just when it is starting to develop seeds, I have found the wretched whitefly is attacking it! I have put it in isolation ("detox") and clipped off the leaves that had the little whitefly scales on it. I would like to save the plant so I can get some seeds from it. Does anyone know how to eradicate whitefly? I prefer organic measures -- especially as this is a plant I am harvesting.

Love the taste in salsa, but it can be VERY weedy. Do not allow it to go to seed, as you'll find yourself digging out cilantro seedlings for years to come.

I like the taste of cilantro a lot and have tried for years to grow it, but have never been successful here in Florida. I have tried both bought plants and seeds in pots, in the ground, in sandy soil, in rich soil, in sun, in part shade--but I have never, ever, gotten past the large seedling stage, when all my plants up and died. From reading other's comments I think the problem is too much rain here in Florida. So from now on I will have to buy my cilantro at the supermarket, and feel like an adject failure as an herb grower.

I had beautiful herbs in my yard in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, zone 7b, and they survived snow and hail storms and 6 F degree winter lows, but in 10 years of living in St. Petersburg, zone 9b, and now here in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, I have never really been very successful with herbs, except semi-tropicals like lemon grass and annual basils. I do think the problem is the hot, wet summers. Even my water loving mints are looking pretty scraggly by now in August.

Delicious leaves for a variety of dishes, but failed to grow well in my garden. Dislikes rainy spells, and seems to dislike being transplanted. Mine were eaten HEAVILY by aphids.

I grew up with this plant...Cilantro is a wonderful plant and spice to use in many dishes, especially salsa and guacamole. It gives it that final touch that many dishes need. I grow it in my garden yearly and with lots of sun and water, just grows and grows. Cut the fresh leaves continually before it goes to flower and seed to keep it from fraying away. Love this plant!

Cilantro is my favorite fresh spice. It's easy to grow and is the perfect comliment in any tomato dish. It has a fresh clean smell! If you ever make your fresh salsa ...Use fesh roma tomatoes, red onion, lime, red pepper and fresh cilantro!!!!! It's the best! I left mine in the garden and it went ahead and grew for me again the following year!

Cilantro is a great herb to grow and to use. The leaves become unpalatable when flowering starts, though. Coriander is the same plant, the seeds are used for flavoring sweets.

It should be direct-sown from spring through summer for a long harvest; transplanting usually makes it bolt.