07/25/2026
CULANTRO or CILANTRO?
Have you seen the long flat leaves of the culantro herb in the grocery and wondered what they were? Is it like cilantro? Cilantro is a cool-season herb that many people miss in their gardens during the heat of summer. As the temperatures rise culantro is a savory alternative. This herb grows best in the summer heat and provides the flavor similar to cilantro. Culantro and cilantro are from the same family. Culantro grows best in a shady area and shade also keeps it from bolting. It can be grown in the ground or a container. It is planted from seed, which will take about 3 weeks to germinate. The leaves of culantro do not store well, so that is one more reason you should grow your own. You can just harvest a leaf or two at a time, as you need it. Cilantro is the herb used to make sofrito. The flavor is citrusy and its strong flavor holds up to long cooking, unlike cilantro. Besides being a flavorful herb it even attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and green lacewings. What a bonus!
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/culantro.html
https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1999/v4-506.html
