How to Grow Cilantro and Prevent It from Bolting

By: Angela Judd | Updated: October 20, 2026

Cilantro is one of the herbs I plant every fall. It grows quickly, I use it constantly in the kitchen, and once it flowers, the beneficial insects love it. The challenge with cilantro is its short season. As temperatures rise, it naturally shifts from making leaves to flowering and producing seed. You can’t stop that forever, but planting at the right time, choosing slow-bolt varieties, and harvesting often can help extend the leafy stage.

And when it does bolt, don’t pull it out right away. The flowers are useful in the garden, and the seeds become coriander.

A close-up of fresh green cilantro leaves.

Key Takeaways: Grow Cilantro and Keep it From Bolting

Cilantro is a cool-season herb that bolts when temperatures rise, making timing crucial for leaf production.
To prevent bolting, directly sow slow-bolt varieties, plant during cool weather, and harvest cilantro often.
Succession planting can extend your harvest; try sowing cilantro every few weeks during the cool season.
Allow bolted cilantro to flower for pollinators and to produce coriander seeds for culinary use.
Store fresh cilantro by placing stems in water and refrigerating them to maintain freshness.

What Does it Mean When Cilantro Bolts?

Bolting is when cilantro shifts from producing leaves to producing flowers and seeds. You’ll notice a taller central stem, smaller, more finely divided leaves, and then clusters of tiny white flowers. Eventually, those flowers develop into coriander seeds. Bolting is part of cilantro’s natural life cycle. Warm temperatures and longer days speed up the process, which is why timing matters so much.

If you’re growing cilantro mainly for the leaves, the goal isn’t to prevent bolting forever. It’s to give the plant as much cool growing weather as possible before it happens.

Three side-by-side panels showing the feathery leaves and small white flowers of a cilantro plant. — Bolted Cilantro

If you’re curious about what gardening blogs mean when they mention things like bolting, check out my Gardening Glossary. It’s a simple reference that helps make all the terminology clear so you can follow posts with confidence.

3 Ways to Prevent Cilantro from Bolting:

1. Direct Sow Slow-Bolt Varieties

Choose varieties bred to stay leafy longer, such as ‘Long Standing’ or ‘Slow Bolt.’

I prefer to sow cilantro directly in the garden. Cilantro develops a taproot quickly, and direct sowing avoids disturbing the roots. Plant seeds about ¼ to ½ inch (0.6 to 1.3 cm) deep.

For leaf production, plants can grow fairly close together. Thin seedlings as needed so they have a couple of inches between plants. If you’re growing cilantro specifically for coriander seed, give the plants more room.

Growing Cilantro in Containers

Cilantro also grows well in containers. Choose a container with good drainage and enough depth for the taproot. A deeper pot also dries out more slowly than a very shallow one. For more help, see my guide on growing herbs in containers.

Hands measuring the height of a terracotta garden pot with a yellow tape measure.

2. Plant Cilantro During Cool Weather

Cilantro is a cool-season herb. Planting at the right time is the biggest factor in how long you can harvest leaves before the plant bolts. Cilantro earns its place in the fall garden every year. That’s why it’s on my list of the easiest fall vegetables to grow in mild winter climates.

Arizona Low Desert

Plant cilantro outdoors from October through January.

I usually direct-sow it rather than start it indoors. If you do want to start seeds indoors, begin about 4 to 6 weeks before you plan to plant outside and disturb the roots as little as possible when transplanting.

A palm holding a small pile of round, light brown seeds.

Cilantro can handle cool weather and light frost. It doesn’t handle heat well. Once daytime temperatures regularly climb into the 80s°F (upper 20s°C), bolting becomes much more likely. Shade can buy you a little time, but eventually the plant will flower no matter what you do.

Cooler Climates

In colder climates, sow cilantro in early spring while temperatures are still cool. Succession sow every few weeks if you want a longer harvest.

Succession Plant for a Longer Harvest

Rather than relying on one planting, sow a small amount of cilantro every few weeks during the cool season. That way, when one planting begins to flower, another is still producing leaves. Learn more in this guide to succession planting.

If it’s too hot for cilantro, papalo is a good warm-season alternative with a strong cilantro-like flavor.

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3. Harvest Cilantro Often

Harvest cilantro regularly once the plants are large enough to use. You can snip individual outer stems or gather a section and cut it a couple of inches above the soil. Leave enough growth behind for the plant to continue producing.

Hands using orange-handled shears to harvest cilantro from a garden bed.

Frequent harvesting encourages the plant to keep producing leaves, but it won’t stop bolting once temperatures and day length trigger flowering.

For the longest harvest, combine regular cutting with succession planting instead of relying on one plant to produce all season.

How to Store Fresh Cilantro

After harvesting, place the stems in a jar with a little water and refrigerate them. Covering the leaves loosely can help them stay fresh longer.

Use fresh cilantro in salsa, salads, tacos, soups, and whatever else you’re making. If you love cilantro’s flavor, you’ll love my favorite garden salsa recipe. Stir in extra after opening a jar.

A bunch of fresh cilantro stems standing in a glass jar of water.

What if Cilantro Bolts?

Don’t pull cilantro out as soon as it starts flowering. There are two reasons I’m happy to let some of mine bolt:

The Flowers Attract Beneficial Insects

Cilantro flowers are small umbels that attract many beneficial insects. I often see ladybugs and other predators around flowering cilantro. Hoverflies, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps also visit the flowers and can help with garden pests.

That’s one reason I plant cilantro in several areas of the garden instead of keeping it all in one bed.

Several ladybugs crawling on a green coriander plant.

The Seeds Become Coriander

After flowering, cilantro produces coriander seeds. Cilantro leaves and coriander seeds come from the same plant, but they taste very different and are used differently in the kitchen.

To harvest coriander, leave the seeds on the plant until they begin turning tan or brown. Cut the stems and place them upside down in a paper bag. As they finish drying, the seeds will drop into the bag. Use some for cooking and save some to plant the following season. Learn more in this guide to saving seeds.

A hand holding a pile of dried coriander seeds.

Quick Cilantro Growing Tips

Season: Cool season
Low-desert planting window: October through January
Planting method: Direct sow preferred
Seed depth: ¼ to ½ inch (0.6 to 1.3 cm)
Sun: Full sun in cool weather; some afternoon shade can help as temperatures rise
Water: Keep evenly moist while establishing, then water as needed
Harvest: Begin when plants are large enough to use and continue regularly
Bolting: Natural and eventually unavoidable as temperatures rise
Bonus: Flowers attract beneficial insects and seeds become coriander

Growing Cilantro FAQs

Lush green cilantro leaves growing in a garden.

Why does my cilantro keep bolting?

Cilantro is a cool-season herb that naturally bolts, or begins flowering, when temperatures rise and days get longer. To delay bolting, plant cilantro during cool weather, choose slow-bolt varieties, and keep the soil evenly moist. Once cilantro begins flowering, you can leave it in the garden to attract beneficial insects and produce coriander seeds.

Does cilantro grow back after cutting?

Yes, cilantro can grow back after harvesting if you leave the central growing point intact. Cut the outer stems and let the smaller inner leaves keep growing. However, cilantro is a short-lived annual, so it won’t keep producing leaves indefinitely. Plant new seeds every 2 to 3 weeks during the cool season for a more consistent harvest.

Does cilantro need full sun or shade?

Cilantro grows best in full sun during cool weather but benefits from some afternoon shade as temperatures rise. In hot climates like Arizona’s low desert, planting cilantro during fall and winter gives it the best growing conditions. Shade can help delay bolting, but it won’t prevent flowering once temperatures become too warm.

How long does cilantro take to grow from seed?

Cilantro typically takes about 45 to 70 days to mature from seed, depending on the variety and growing conditions. You can begin harvesting leaves earlier, once plants reach about 6 inches (15 cm) tall. For the best results, sow seeds directly into the garden during cool weather.

Does cilantro come back every year?

Cilantro is an annual herb, meaning each plant completes its life cycle in one growing season. However, cilantro can reseed itself if you let the flowers develop mature seeds and drop to the ground. New cilantro plants may sprout when temperatures become favorable again.

Cilantro has a short season, especially in warm climates, but it’s not difficult to grow. Plant it while the weather is cool, sow a little at a time, and harvest often. When it eventually bolts, let a few plants flower. You’ll attract beneficial insects now and get coriander seeds later.