Growing Coriander: The Herb That Keeps on Giving
If you’ve ever wondered about that fragrant, feathery herb that somehow manages to be both beloved and controversial, meet coriander (Coriandrum sativum). This annual forb has been winning over gardeners for centuries with its dual personality – offering tender, flavorful leaves early in the season and aromatic seeds later on. Whether you call it coriander, cilantro, or Chinese parsley, this versatile herb deserves a spot in your garden conversation, if not your actual garden beds.
What Exactly Is Coriander?
Coriander is an annual herb that belongs to the carrot family, and like many of its relatives, it produces delicate, umbrella-shaped flower clusters called umbels. As a forb, it’s a soft-stemmed plant without woody tissue – think of it as the garden’s gentle giant that packs a flavorful punch in a compact package. The entire plant is useful: young leaves for fresh eating, mature leaves for cooking, flowers for attracting beneficial insects, and seeds for spice.
Where Does Coriander Come From?
Originally from the Mediterranean region and southwestern Asia, coriander has traveled the world and made itself quite comfortable in North America. However, it’s important to note that coriander is not native to North America. It has naturalized across a wide range of states and provinces, from Arizona and California to Nova Scotia and Ontario, and everywhere from Florida to Washington state. The plant reproduces spontaneously in the wild and tends to persist without human intervention.
Should You Grow Coriander in Your Garden?
Here’s where things get interesting. While coriander isn’t native to North America, it’s generally well-behaved in garden settings and offers several benefits that make it worth considering:
- Dual-purpose harvest: fresh leaves and aromatic seeds
- Attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps
- Fast-growing and easy to cultivate
- Excellent for succession planting
- Compact size perfect for container gardens
However, since it’s not native, you might also consider exploring native alternatives that provide similar benefits to pollinators and wildlife. Native herbs like wild bergamot, anise hyssop, or native mints can offer aromatic foliage and excellent pollinator support while supporting local ecosystems.
The Aesthetic Appeal
Coriander brings a delicate beauty to the garden that’s often overlooked. The young plants sport bright green, broad leaves that gradually give way to increasingly feathery, thread-like foliage as the plant matures. When it bolts to flower, expect charming clusters of tiny white or pale pink flowers that dance above the foliage like little umbrellas. The entire plant typically reaches 12-24 inches tall and spreads about 6-12 inches wide – perfect for tucking into borders or filling containers.
Growing Conditions and Care
Coriander is refreshingly easy to grow, though it does have some preferences. This cool-weather lover thrives in full sun to partial shade and appreciates well-draining soil. It’s adaptable to various soil types but performs best in moderately fertile, slightly alkaline conditions.
Planting and Care Tips
Success with coriander comes down to timing and technique:
- Direct sowing works best: Coriander doesn’t appreciate root disturbance, so sow seeds directly where you want them to grow
- Cool season preference: Plant in early spring or fall for best leaf production
- Succession planting: Sow new seeds every 2-3 weeks for continuous harvest
- Harvest young: Pick leaves when plants are 4-6 inches tall for the best flavor
- Let some bolt: Allow some plants to flower and set seed for next year’s crop and to support beneficial insects
Garden Design and Landscape Role
Coriander fits beautifully into herb gardens, vegetable plots, and mixed borders. Its feathery texture provides nice contrast to broader-leaved plants, while its compact size makes it ideal for edging or container growing. In kitchen gardens, it’s often paired with other quick-growing herbs and vegetables for easy harvesting.
Pollinator and Wildlife Benefits
While coriander may not be native, it does offer some ecological benefits. The small flowers attract beneficial insects, particularly hoverflies, small bees, and parasitic wasps that help control garden pests. However, for maximum wildlife support, consider incorporating native flowering herbs that provide more substantial benefits to local pollinators and wildlife.
The Bottom Line
Coriander is a useful, attractive, and well-behaved addition to most gardens. While it’s not native to North America, it’s not invasive either, making it a reasonable choice for gardeners who want to grow their own fresh herbs. Just remember to balance non-native plants like coriander with plenty of native species to create a garden that’s both productive and supportive of local ecosystems. After all, the best gardens are those that feed both our bodies and our local wildlife.
