Cilantro Species

History

• The word "coriander" was derived from the Greek word "koros," meaning bug. The National Vegetable Society website indicates that the Greeks thought Coriandrum sativum leaves smelled like bed bug-infested linens or crushed bed bugs. Despite this dubious distinction, it has been an important culinary and medicinal herb for thousands of years. Explorers found coriander seeds within 21st century Egyptian tombs, and ancient Sanskrit writings mentioned the herb as far back as 1500 BC. Early settlers brought the herb to North America during the 17th century.

Culinary Uses

• Coriandrum sativum provides two different spices. Its leaves yield cilantro, a parsley-like herb with a slight citrus flavor and a pungent odor. Cilantro is often used to flavor salsa, as well as many other Latin American, Indian and Asian dishes. Growers also cultivate the plant for its seeds, called coriander. The seeds have an unpleasant smell when fresh, according to the Plants for a Future Database, but they become sweet and fragrant when dried. Coriander is used as a flavoring in many alcoholic beverages, as well as in breads, cakes and other baked goods. Herbalists recommend the seeds to treat stomach upset; the oils are also used in perfumes and soaps.

Identification

• Cilantro plants grow between 2 and 3 feet tall with a 1- to 2-foot spread. They have distinctly separated, linear upper leaves and 1 to 2-inch-long deeply lobed and rounded lower leaves. Flat-topped clusters of tiny pink or white blossoms appear during the summer. Brownish-yellow, rounded seed pods replace the blossoms and ripen between August and September depending upon the location and climate. Cilantro plants tend to become top-heavy and may spread across the ground rather than remaining upright.

Cultivating Cilantro

• Coriandrum sativum prefers fertile, well-drained soil and full sunlight. The National Vegetable Society suggests that the plants yield the highest quality of leaves when they are grown quickly in a nitrogen-rich soil. They prefer cool, dry weather and may not grow well in rainy or humid environments. You can harvest their leaves for cilantro within a month to six weeks, and collect the coriander seeds approximately three months after planting. Plant cilantro during the winter in United States Department of Agriculture Hardiness zones 9 through 11 and in the spring in zones 3 through 8.