Cilantro planting dates by zone

When to sow cilantro

University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension calls cilantro a cool-season crop that tends to bolt (go to seed) in hot weather but will not survive a hard freeze. It sows in early spring, at the same time lettuce is typically planted, and again in mid-August in Wisconsin for a fall leaf crop, and says summer plantings are not recommended because plants generally bolt before producing much.

Oregon State University Extension Service says to plant in early spring and again in late summer, as temperatures cool and days shorten, and that mature plants tolerate light freezing. Planted in late June or early July, cilantro bolts during the long, hot days. University of Illinois Extension sows directly after the danger of frost is past.

Those disagree by a few weeks in spring. The table above uses this site’s own crop table, the same dates as When to start my seeds: sow from two weeks before your zone’s median last spring freeze. Its last fall sowing is the same arithmetic as What can I still plant: late enough to reach harvest before the first fall freeze, allowing for the light frost cilantro takes.

Cilantro in the South

UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says it is best to grow cilantro in fall and winter in Florida, because it quickly flowers and goes to seed when the days get long and warm. It sows a few seeds every few weeks for a steady supply, in full sun to part shade and rich, well-drained soil.

Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center says the onset of summer heat makes cilantro bolt quickly. It suggests Vietnamese coriander (Polygonum odoratum), a perennial with a flavor very similar to cilantro, where cilantro goes to seed fast; it grows best in part shade with ample moisture.

In Texas, Texas A&M’s survey of commercial herb crops says growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley sow cilantro at weekly intervals from October through March, and it is ready for a fresh harvest in about five weeks or more.

Sowing and care

Oregon State says cilantro’s long taproot makes transplanting difficult, and Wisconsin and Illinois say the same, so all three sow it where it will grow. Oregon State sows 10 to 15 seeds per foot of row, covers them with half an inch of soil and thins to 8 inches apart. Penn State Extension direct-sows 6 to 8 inches apart for healthier, stronger plants.

Penn State grows cilantro in full sun and well-drained soil with a pH around 6.5, keeps it watered and mulched with straw to keep the soil cool, and gives it some afternoon shade to extend its life as the weather heats up. Oregon State suggests a cool or semi-shaded spot during the warm season. Wisconsin keeps plants evenly moist.

For a steady supply, sow small batches in succession. The intervals vary: every 2 to 3 weeks (Wisconsin), every 2 to 4 weeks (Penn State), every 3 to 4 weeks (Illinois), or every few weeks (Oregon State and UF/IFAS).

Harvesting for the kitchen

Penn State starts harvesting once plants are 6 inches tall, cutting one-third of the plant at ground level each time, and uses the fresh leaves and tender stems; cooking diminishes their flavor. Wisconsin picks leaves any time after the plants are about 6 inches tall but before they bolt, when the leaves may develop a disagreeable flavor. Removing the older outside leaves encourages new ones, though the younger leaves have the more intense flavor.

Wisconsin also cuts whole plants as a bunch an inch above the ground, and the plant can regrow for a second cutting. It adds cilantro at the very end of cooking, and says cut leaves keep in the refrigerator for about a week. UF/IFAS harvests continuously once plants reach 6 inches, until the plant dies.

The seed is coriander. Wisconsin says the seeds are ready when they turn light brown, usually 2 to 3 weeks after flowering; UF/IFAS says to look for seeds about three months after planting. Wisconsin and Oregon State dig the roots, used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, in the fall from plants that have not gone to seed.

Why it bolts, and what bolting is good for

Oregon State says both temperature and day length drive flowering: in mid-summer cilantro typically flowers and produces seed within four to six weeks, while in the cooler, shorter days of spring or fall it grows leaves for several weeks or months first. Wisconsin says some cultivars are slower to bolt, but none hold well under high temperatures and long days.

Bolting is not all loss. Oregon State and Wisconsin say the flowers attract beneficial insects, and Penn State and Wisconsin say plants left to set seed may sow themselves, bringing seedlings when it cools down.

Common problems

Penn State lists aphids, best knocked off with a hard spray of water; cutworms, which eat seedlings off; and armyworms, which skeletonize leaves; both caterpillars are hand-picked. Its most frequent disease is bacterial leaf spot: water-soaked spots with a yellowish edge that enlarge and turn dark. Remove infected plants and keep them out of the compost, water at ground level, and next year plant cilantro where no member of its family (parsley, celery, chervil, dill) grew.

Wisconsin says cilantro has no serious pest problems, though some commercial growers have reported bacterial leaf spot. Texas A&M’s survey of Texas commercial herb crops says no insects attack the crop there, and that its diseases may include leaf spot, Alternaria and powdery mildew.

Common mistakes

• Sowing in midsummer. Wisconsin and Oregon State say summer sowings bolt before producing much.
• Transplanting it. Oregon State, Wisconsin and Illinois say the long taproot makes transplanting difficult; sow it where it will grow.
• Sowing it all at once. Wisconsin, Penn State, Illinois, Oregon State and UF/IFAS all sow in succession, every few weeks.
• Waiting too long to pick. Wisconsin says leaves picked after the plant bolts may taste disagreeable.
• Composting plants with bacterial leaf spot. Penn State says to remove them and keep them out of the compost.

We found no Texas home-garden source with cilantro sowing dates; the Texas timing on this page is commercial practice in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Questions

Why does my cilantro bolt so fast?

Heat and long days. Oregon State says that in mid-summer cilantro typically flowers and sets seed within four to six weeks, while in the cooler, shorter days of spring or fall it grows leaves for weeks or months first. Wisconsin says even slow-bolting cultivars do not hold well under high temperatures and long days.

When should I plant cilantro for a fall harvest?

Oregon State sows again in late summer as temperatures cool and days shorten, and Wisconsin seeds in mid-August there. The table on this page gives the last fall sowing for your zone, counted back from its median first fall freeze.

Can I grow cilantro in winter in the South?

UF/IFAS says fall and winter are the best seasons for cilantro in Florida. In Texas, commercial growers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley sow it weekly from October through March, Texas A&M reports. Oregon State says mature plants tolerate light freezing, while Wisconsin says cilantro will not survive a hard freeze.

How do I harvest cilantro so it keeps growing?

Penn State cuts one-third of the plant at ground level each time, once plants are 6 inches tall. Wisconsin removes the older outside leaves to encourage new ones, or cuts the whole plant an inch above the ground for a second cutting.

Are cilantro and coriander the same plant?

Yes. Illinois says the leaves are called cilantro and the seeds coriander: two products, one plant.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The planting rules are named beside the table. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

• University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Cilantro / Coriander, Coriandrum sativum , by Susan Mahr . Written for: Wisconsin (USDA zones 4a–6a).
• Oregon State University Extension Service, How to grow cilantro for leaves — or coriander seeds (Published April 2023, reviewed 2025). Written for: Oregon (USDA zones 5b–9b).
• Penn State Extension, Cilantro, a Unique Culinary Herb , by Mandy L. Smith (Updated April 9, 2024). Written for: Pennsylvania (USDA zones 5b–8a).
• University of Illinois Extension, Herb Gardening: Cilantro . Written for: Illinois (USDA zones 5a–7a).
• UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Cilantro (Accessed October 2026). Written for: Florida (USDA zones 8b–11b).
• Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, Herbs (HGIC 1311) , by Millie Davenport (Updated November 25, 2019). Written for: South Carolina (USDA zones 8a–9b).
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Aggie Horticulture, The Crops of Texas: Herbs and Spices (commercial production) . Written for: Texas commercial growers (USDA zones 6b–10b).

How we write our guides

Published October 23, 2026