Cilantro is a race against the heat. This cool-season herb grows fast, gives you a generous window of tender leaves, and then — often suddenly — bolts to flower and seed when the weather warms up. The leaves are at their best before bolting, so the skill is harvesting steadily from the moment the plants are big enough, and sowing little and often so there is always a fresh batch coming on.
Cilantro takes 45–60 days to mature, according to the Garden Grove crop data. It is a hardy herb in the Apiaceae family with moderate water needs. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for cilantro, and use the Harvest Date Calculator to work out your picking window from your sowing date. Browse the full guides hub and the tools hub for more harvest timing advice, and check your local extension service for dates suited to your climate.
Cilantro at a glance
| Growing factor | What cilantro needs |
|---|---|
| Days to maturity | 45–60 |
| Category | herb |
| Family | Apiaceae |
| Cold tolerance | hardy |
| Water needs | moderate |
Signs cilantro is ready to pick
A cilantro plant is ready to pick when it is about six inches tall and has a full rosette of feathery, bright-green leaves. The leaves should be soft and aromatic, with the flat, lobed shape of young cilantro — as the plant matures the leaves become more feathery and finely divided, which is a sign that bolting is approaching. Pick the outer leaves first and the plant will keep producing from the centre.
The warning sign is a sudden change in growth. When the central stem starts to stretch upwards and the leaves turn thin and feathery, the plant is about to bolt. From that point the leaves become bitter and sparse within days, so harvest everything usable at once. If you see tiny white flowers, the leaf harvest is over — but the plant is now on its way to producing coriander seed, which is a second harvest in its own right.
How to pick cilantro
Cut cilantro with clean scissors, taking the outer stems at the base and working your way around the plant. Leave the young inner leaves and the growing centre alone so the plant can keep producing. Do not pull the plant up by the roots, and do not strip every leaf at once unless the plant is bolting — a plant picked to the ground will not recover.
Take a small handful from several plants rather than a large handful from one, so no single plant is stressed. Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried, when the leaves are crisp and most aromatic. If you are growing cilantro for coriander seed, stop picking leaves once the flower stalks appear and let the plant run to seed. For the full growing picture, see our growing guide for cilantro.
The best time of day to harvest
Harvest cilantro in the morning, after the dew has dried but before the sun gets hot. That is when the leaves are dry, crisp and most aromatic, because the essential oils are at their most concentrated after a cool night. Leaves picked in the afternoon heat are often limp and less flavourful, and wet leaves picked while the dew is still on them dry slowly and can go mouldy in storage.
Choose a dry day for harvesting if you can, and avoid picking after rain, when the foliage is wet and heavy. If you must pick on a damp day, spread the cuttings out in a single layer in a ventilated spot for an hour before you bundle or bag them. And get the harvest out of the sun straight away — a basket of cut herbs left in the sun for an hour will wilt and lose much of its aroma. Morning picking is a small habit that makes a real difference to flavour and keeping quality.
How often to pick
Cilantro is a pick-little-and-often crop, and regular picking is part of good plant care, not just a way to get a harvest. Once the plant is established, you can take a small picking every week or two through the growing season, always leaving enough growth for the plant to recover. Each cut encourages the plant to branch and push out fresh, tender growth, so a plant that is picked regularly stays bushy and productive far longer than one that is left alone.
Do not wait for a single big harvest unless the plant is one you cut whole for drying — for most herbs, steady, small pickings give you better flavour and a healthier plant. Take a few sprigs from several plants rather than a large handful from one, and always leave at least two-thirds of the plant intact. If you go away for a few weeks, ask someone to pick the herbs, or cut the plant back before you leave so it regrows while you are gone.
What happens if cilantro is left too long
Cilantro left too long bolts, and bolted cilantro is a different plant in the kitchen. The leaves become thin, feathery and bitter, and there are very few of them — the plant's energy goes into a tall flower stalk and then into seed. Once the white flowers open, the leaves are barely worth picking.
Bolted cilantro is not a total loss. The flowers attract beneficial insects, and the seeds that follow — coriander — are a valuable spice. Let the seed heads dry on the plant until they turn brown, then cut them, dry them further in a paper bag, and rub out the seeds. Store the dry seeds in a jar and grind them fresh. If you want leaves rather than seed, the fix is prevention: sow little and often, and pick steadily before the heat arrives.
How to store cilantro
Cilantro is best used fresh, but it stores better than most people expect. For a few days, stand the cut stems in a jar of water in the fridge, loosely covered with a plastic bag — this keeps the leaves crisp for up to a week. Alternatively, wrap the bunch loosely in a damp tea towel inside a container in the crisper drawer.
For longer keeping, freezing works well. Chop the leaves and freeze them in ice-cube trays topped up with water or oil, then transfer the cubes to a bag. Frozen cilantro is ideal for curries, soups and stews, though it loses the crisp texture needed for garnishes. Drying is not recommended for cilantro, because the leaves lose almost all their flavour when dried — freeze it instead, or make a green sauce such as chimichurri and freeze that.
Succession and continuous harvest tips
Succession sowing is essential for cilantro, because each plant only gives good leaves for a few weeks. Sow a short row every two to three weeks from early spring, and keep sowing through the cool months. In hot summers, sow cilantro in a spot with afternoon shade, or grow it indoors on a cool windowsill, because heat is what triggers bolting.
Cilantro is a hardy herb with moderate water needs, so it tolerates cool weather well and can be sown again in late summer for an autumn harvest. Keep the soil evenly moist, because dry soil also encourages bolting. Let one or two plants go to seed each season — the seed falls and self-sows, and you may find volunteer cilantro popping up in the same bed next spring.
If you are also growing other herbs and vegetables, our guides to harvesting parsley and harvesting dill follow the same picking principles, and check your local extension service for advice suited to your area.
Frequently asked questions
When is cilantro ready to harvest?
When plants are about six inches tall with a full rosette of bright-green leaves, typically 45–60 days from sowing.
How do I stop cilantro bolting?
You cannot stop it entirely — heat triggers it. Sow little and often, give afternoon shade in summer, keep the soil moist, and harvest steadily.
Can I use cilantro after it flowers?
The leaves turn bitter once flowering starts, but the plant then produces coriander seed — let the seed heads dry and harvest the seeds.
How long does cilantro last in the fridge?
Up to a week if you stand the stems in water, loosely covered, or wrap the bunch in a damp tea towel in the crisper.
Why does my cilantro taste soapy?
That is genetic — some people perceive cilantro's flavour compounds as soapy. It is not a sign the plant was picked wrong, and cooking softens the effect.