DESCRIPTION: This annual herb is native of southern Europe and is commonly known as Coriander, Cilantro, or Chinese Parsley. The latter two are usually used to refer to the plant's foliage, while the name Coriander usually refers just to the seeds. Coriander will withstand temperatures as low as 10 degrees. The bright green, rounded leaves grow in basal rosettes and resemble the foliage of Parsley. The foliage is ordinarily harvested before the plants flower in the summer. In flower, the plants reach 22 feet and the leaves become tall and lacy. The dainty flowers grow in an umbrellalike cluster and may be white, pinkish or purplish. The seeds have a pleasant fragrance when mature and contain an essential oil. The herb is used for flavoring and the oil distilled from the seeds is used in liqueurs and for flavoring as well.
POTTING: Coriander loves sun, but will handle more shade than most herbs. They need well-drained, fertile, moist soil that isn't too rich with nitrogen. Cultivate the ground shallowly to keep down the weeds. If the foliage is wanted, shear the whole plant to 2 or 3 inches above the soil surface. The leaves will regrow with a little fertilizer and water. To harvest seeds, let the plants grow until the first set of seeds dries enough to crack when pinched. At this time, cut and hang the plants to dry over a catch-cloth. To thresh, put dry plants into a large cloth bag and beat the bag against a post to dislodge the seeds; then sift seeds through a 3 -inch mesh hardware cloth to remove the chaff.
PROPAGATION: For the best production of heavy basal leaves, direct seed in late summer or fall where winters are mild, in early spring elsewhere. You can usually have a second planting in early autumn. Wash the seeds in dishwashing detergent, rinse thoroughly and pat dry before planting. Set them 3 -inch deep in fertile soil. If you are only growing for the seeds and not for the foliage, early spring seeding produces large, rugged plants that will give a high seed yield.
VARIETIES: C. sativum.