2017 Herb of the year

How to Grow Cilantro
Cilantro needs full sun or light shade in southern zones since it bolts quickly in hot weather. It grows best in a well-drained, moist soil. Cilantro plants should be spaced about 6 to 8 inches apart. To harvest fresh cilantro all season, make successive sowings every 2 to 3 weeks starting in late spring.

From the time of sowing seed, cilantro leaves can begin to be harvested in about 3 to 4 weeks. Cilantro seeds can be harvested in about 45 days.

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Coriander / Cilantro Coriandrum sativum
Interesting Facts

• Coriander and cilantro are the same plant. The seeds from this plant are referred to as coriander and the leaves are referred to as cilantro or Chinese parsley.
• Coriander sativum is native to the eastern Mediterranean region.
• Both the seeds and leaves have had culinary uses since medieval times. All parts of the plant are edible.
• The name comes from the Greek word koris, meaning bedbug since the unripe coriander fruit has a disagreeable “buggy” smell.
• Coriander seeds have a pleasant, spicy aroma when mature and dry and a flavor that is described as citrusy, nutty and spicy when crushed.
• Coriander is used in cuisines world wide, including in spice blends like curry powder, garam masala and berbere.
• Coriander seeds are referred to as one of the bitter herbs in the Bible and eaten at the first Passover. In addition, manna was described as being the color of coriander seeds.
• Healing properties were associated with coriander in early Roman and Chinese medicine and research continues today.
• During World War II, the seeds were coated in white or pink sugar and thrown from carnival wagons. These confections or confetti were eventually replaced by balls of colored paper and is how confetti got its name.
• Coriander seed is used in the making of gin as well as many other distilled spirits and herbal liqueurs.
• The seeds may be used whole, crushed or ground in cooking.
• Cilantro is popular in Mexican, Asian and Indian dishes.

Flowering Coriander for Aphid Control
In the Salinas Valley of California, aphids have been one of the worst pests in the lettuce fields. The USDA Cooperative Extension Service has been investigating organic methods for aphid control, and experimented with coriander plants and Alyssum plants; when intercropped with the lettuce and allowed to flower, they attract beneficial insects such as hoverflies, the larvae of which eat up to 150 aphids per day before they mature into flying adults.

The Herb Society of America www.herbsociety.org
Wikipedia