Open-Pollinated · 50–55 days from direct seeding
cool-season · timing varies by zone
Grows well in
Raised Bed ✓
In-Ground ✓
Container/Pot ✓
Grow Bag ✓
Meet This Plant
Leisure Cilantro gives you the fresh herb you know from every taco, salsa, and curry, with one advantage over standard cilantro: it stays in its leafy stage longer before bolting. All cilantro eventually bolts in heat, and when it does the leaves turn bitter and the plant shifts into seed production. Leisure just gives you more time before that happens.
When it does bolt, don't pull it. The seeds it produces are coriander, a completely different spice with a warm, citrusy flavor used across Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern cooking. One plant, two harvests.
What it tastes like: Bright, citrusy, and fresh in a way that's hard to describe but immediately recognizable. It's the herb that makes salsa taste like salsa and tacos taste finished. If you've ever had a dish that tasted like something was missing until someone threw a handful of fresh herbs on it, that was probably cilantro doing its thing.
How to Grow It
Sun
Full sun in cool weather. Partial shade in warmer months helps delay bolting.
Water
Keep soil consistently moist. Dry conditions speed up bolting. Mulching around the base helps keep roots cool and moisture in.
Sowing Details
-
Depth¼–½ inch
-
Spacing1–2 inches for leaf harvest, 4–6 inches for larger plants
-
Row Spacing12 inches
-
Germination7–14 days. Lightly split or gently crush the seed husks before planting. It often improves germination and can encourage more even sprouting.
-
Days to Maturity50–55 days from direct seeding
When to Plant
For spring, direct sow 2–3 weeks before your last frost when daytime temperatures are consistently in the 40s to 50s°F. Cilantro handles light frost and prefers cool soil.
For fall, direct sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost or once daytime temperatures begin dropping below about 75°F.
Succession sow every 2–3 weeks through spring and again in early fall for a continuous harvest.
Zones 7–8
Direct sow in early spring while daytime temperatures are still in the 40s to 50s°F. Again in late summer once daytime temperatures start dropping below 80°F. Cilantro bolts quickly once temperatures regularly reach the upper 70s to low 80s°F so don't push it into summer.
Zones 9–11
Fall through winter is your best season. Direct sow once the heat breaks and harvest continuously through the cooler months.
Grow Friend Tips
Crush the seed husks before planting
Cilantro seeds come in a round husk that contains two seeds. Gently rolling them between your palms or giving them a light crush before planting splits the husk and gets both seeds in contact with the soil. It's a small step that noticeably improves germination rates.
It's cut-and-come-again
Once the plant is at least 6 inches tall, cut the outer stems about an inch above the soil and leave the center intact. The plant will keep producing new leaves from the center. Never take more than a third of the plant at once and leave the central growing point untouched or regrowth stops. Regular harvesting actually delays bolting so the more you cut, the longer it lasts.
Don't fight the bolt, work with it
Even Leisure eventually bolts when temperatures climb. When you see the plant sending up a tall stalk, let it go. The flowers attract beneficial insects and the seeds that follow are coriander. Harvest the seeds when they turn tan and dry on the plant, then use them as a spice or save them for replanting.
Shade and moisture buy you more time
Afternoon shade and consistent moisture are the two best tools for delaying bolting. Mulching around the base keeps roots cool and holds moisture in. In warm climates planting near taller crops that cast afternoon shade makes a real difference.
Don't pull spent plants right away
Cilantro self-seeds readily. If you let a few plants go to seed and drop them in the bed, you may get volunteer plants the following season without doing anything. Free cilantro is the best cilantro.
Companion plants
Tomatoes
Carrots
Lettuce
Spinach
Peas
Alyssum
Harvest & What to Do With It
When it's ready
Cilantro is ready for its first harvest when stems are at least 6 inches tall, typically 50–55 days from sowing. Don't wait for the whole plant to be fully mature. Start cutting outer stems as soon as they're big enough to use and keep the harvests coming.
How to harvest
Cut outer stems about an inch above the soil and leave the center of the plant intact. Use scissors or snips rather than pulling. The stems, leaves, and tender upper portions are all edible. When the plant bolts and sends up a flower stalk, let it finish and harvest the seeds once they turn tan and dry.
Yield
A short row gives you a generous supply of fresh herb. Succession sowing every 2–3 weeks keeps fresh cilantro coming through the season without gaps.
Short-term storage
Stand freshly cut stems in a jar of water like a bouquet and refrigerate loosely covered. Keeps 1–2 weeks. Change the water every day or two.
Long-term storage
✅
Freezing: Chop finely, mix with a little water or olive oil, freeze in ice cube trays, then bag the cubes. Keeps up to 6 months. Best for cooked dishes.
✅
Coriander seeds: Let the plant bolt and go to seed. Harvest seed heads once tan and dry, bring inside to finish drying, shake seeds out, and store in an airtight jar. Use as a spice or save for replanting.
❌
Drying: Cilantro loses almost all of its flavor when dried. Not worth it. Use the seeds as coriander instead if you want a preserved version.
❌
Pressure canning: Not appropriate.
❌
Water bath canning: Not appropriate.
What to cook
Fresh in salsa, guacamole, and tacos where it's the whole point of the dish. Stirred into curries and soups right before serving so the heat doesn't kill the flavor. Blended into sauces and dressings. Scattered over rice bowls, noodles, and grilled fish. Cilantro is one of those herbs where a handful of it makes everything taste finished.
Seed Storage & Saving
| Variety |
Leisure Cilantro |
| Type |
Open-Pollinated |
| Seeds per packet |
~250 seeds |
Storing unused seeds: Keep somewhere cool, dark, and dry. Viable up to 2–3 years when stored properly, though germination rates are best with fresher seed.
Seed saving: Cilantro is insect-pollinated and can cross with other cilantro varieties nearby. Grow only one variety at a time for reliable purity, or isolate by at least a quarter mile. Let a few plants bolt and flower fully. Once the seed heads turn tan and dry on the plant, cut them, bring inside to finish drying, then shake the seeds out. Saved seeds can be replanted or used as coriander in cooking.
