Culantro

Use our zone-based planting guide to know when to plant culantro.

Plant name Zone Start seeds indoors (spring/fall) Start seeds outdoors (spring/fall) Plant seedlings/transplants outdoors (spring/fall) Plant spacing # plants per person
Culantro 3a March 1-15 Not recommended On/around May 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 3b March 1-15 Not recommended On/around May 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 4a March 1-15 Not recommended On/around May 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 4b March 1-15 Not recommended On/around May 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 5a Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 5b Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 6a Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 6b Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 7a Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 7b Feb. 1-15 Not recommended On/around April 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 8a Jan. 1-15 Not recommended On/around March 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 8b Jan. 1-15 Not recommended On/around March 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 9a Dec. 1-15 Not recommended On/around Feb. 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 9b Dec. 1-15 Not recommended On/around Feb. 15 (after last frost) 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 10a 8-10 weeks before planting outside Not recommended year-round 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 10b 8-10 weeks before planting outside Not recommended year-round 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 11a 8-10 weeks before planting outside Not recommended year-round 8-12 inches 1
Culantro 11b 8-10 weeks before planting outside Not recommended year-round 8-12 inches 1

* Culantro is native to Mexico and Central America. In Puerto Rico, it is referred to recao. It needs heat and humidity to grow. Biennial in climates with no hard freeze; annual elsewhere. Slow to grow from seed outdoors, so plant seedlings. Start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost date.