🌿 When to Plant Cilantro

Bolts in heat — so sow it like a salad green. Pick your zone below for exact dates, or read the quick reference.

Season type
Cool-season
hardy
Spacing
4″ / 10″
plants / rows
Days to maturity
45–55
from sowing

Cilantro’s lifespan in warm weather is measured in weeks, so sow small amounts every 2–3 weeks instead of fighting it. Fall and winter sowings last far longer; the seeds it drops are coriander.

Cilantro planting windows by zone

ZoneMain planting window
Zone 1 May 25 – Jun 8 direct sow
Zone 2 May 9 – May 23 direct sow
Zone 3 Apr 24 – May 8 direct sow
Zone 4 Apr 14 – Apr 28 direct sow
Zone 5 Apr 1 – Apr 15 direct sow
Zone 6 Mar 20 – Apr 3 direct sow
Zone 7 Mar 9 – Mar 23 direct sow
Zone 8 Feb 22 – Mar 8 direct sow
Zone 9 Jan 30 – Feb 13 direct sow
Zone 10 Jan 4 – Jan 18 direct sow
Zone 11 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free
Zone 12 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free
Zone 13 Coolest months (Oct–Mar) frost-free

Each zone link above has the complete schedule — direct sowing, fall planting, and season-fit notes. Zone dates are typical medians; for windows built on your own city's frost dates, use the frost date lookup and planting calendar.