Learn how to grow culantro in the home herb garden for a never-ending supply of sharply flavoured leaves. This herb is so widely used around the world that it goes by many names: Shado beni, chardon béni, bandhaniya, samat, alcapate, cilantro de monte, cinlantro habanero, Mexican coriander, sneki wiwiri, and so on. You might find it listed as fitweed, spiritweed, stinkweed, duck-tongue herb, sawtooth, or saw-leaf herb. In Vietnamese it is ngo gai.
Latin
Eryngium foetidum
Family: Apiaceae
Difficulty
Easy
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: 3 to 10 – not cold hardy
Timing
Start the seeds in CowPots or medium sized coir pots. Culantro is a biennial plant with a central taproot, so it does not transplant well. The strategy is to transplant its whole root system as needed. Start seeds indoors about eight weeks before the last frost date. That’s early February on the west coast. This tropical herb requires warm soil. Optimal temperature for germination: 26°C (80°F). Seeds should sprout in 14-28 days.
Starting
Sow the tiny seeds on the surface of pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix. Using bottom heat speeds germination. Do not transplant until all risk of frost is well over. Keep the planting medium quite moist. Aim for an ultimate spacing of one plant per one gallon pot, or three plants per five gallon pot.
Growing
Rich, moist, well-drained soil in a warm location is best. Culantro thrives in full sun, but there seems to be some consensus among growers that it will be more productive over a longer period if grown in partial shade. The leaves grow larger and more tender this way.
Harvest
Typically culantro is used as a fresh herb, cutting individual leaves from the plant (or row) as needed. If frost is expected or plants appear to be bolting, harvest at once, and allow the leaves to dry completely with the tap root attached. The leaves retain their flavour surprisingly well. It can also be chopped and frozen in water in ice cube trays like basil, but this seems to diminish the flavour a little.
Seed Info
Usual seed life: 2 years. Using fresh seed each year is recommended.