Magdalena Cilantro is a family heirloom from Sonora, Mexico, generously preserved and shared through Native Seeds/SEARCH's Seed Bank Collection. This fragrant cilantro produces the tender leaves home cooks prize for fresh recipes, and when it naturally bolts, you'll harvest coriander seeds to grind for cooking or replant the next season. It's a dual-purpose herb that rewards patient gardeners with both vibrant foliage and aromatic seeds from a single planting.
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This heirloom carries real history: it arrived at Native Seeds/SEARCH as a gift from Jesus Garcia, a steward of traditional Sonoran agriculture. Beyond its role as a kitchen staple, Magdalena Cilantro delivers the added advantage of coriander seed production when left to mature, extending its usefulness well past the leaf-harvesting stage. Gardeners appreciate herbs that give twice.
Fresh cilantro leaves flavor salsas, guacamole, curries, soups, and countless other dishes across Mexican, Asian, and Indian cuisines. Once the plant bolts and flowers, let it mature to harvest the dried coriander seeds, which you can grind for spice blends, pickling brines, and baking, or save for replanting to close the seed-saving loop.
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Direct sow seeds outdoors in spring once soil temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit, or in late summer for a fall harvest in mild climates. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep, spacing them about 6 inches apart. Cilantro germinates reliably in cool conditions and resents transplanting, so direct sowing is preferred.
Begin harvesting cilantro leaves once the plant reaches 4 to 6 inches tall, pinching off outer stems to encourage bushier growth and delay bolting. Harvest in the morning when leaves are crisp and flavor is most vibrant. If you want to collect coriander seeds, stop harvesting leaves and allow the plant to flower and mature. Seeds are ready to harvest when they turn tan or brown and dry on the plant; cut the seed heads and hang them upside down in a paper bag to finish drying indoors.
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“Magdalena Cilantro traces its lineage to Magdalena, Sonora, a region in northwestern Mexico with deep agricultural traditions. Jesus Garcia, a seed keeper and farmer, generously donated this family heirloom to Native Seeds/SEARCH, an organization dedicated to preserving crop diversity of the American Southwest and Mexico. By entering the Seed Bank Collection, this variety joined a living archive of culturally significant plants, ensuring that Sonoran farming heritage remains accessible to gardeners and growers who value traditional varieties over commercial monocultures.”