HerbCilantro
Santo Cilantro
Slow-bolting Variety
Santo Cilantro is an heirloom, open-pollinated variety of Coriandrum sativum bred for patience rather than speed to bolt, a trait that sets it apart in the cilantro world. Reaching 12 to 24 inches tall, this upright annual thrives in partial shade and delivers harvestable leaves in 50 to 59 days, making it ideal for both container gardeners and those with limited space. Its resistance to Fusarium Leaf Spot and exceptional reluctance to premature flowering make it a reliable choice for anyone tired of watching their cilantro flower and fade within weeks.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Shade
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Preferred Temp50-85°F
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
—
Width
10 in
Spacing
50–59
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Partial Shade
Water
Moderate
Zones
?-?
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
What makes Santo Cilantro remarkable is its unusual staying power. Unlike other varieties that bolt at the first hint of warm weather, Santo holds its leafy vegetative state far longer, giving you weeks of continuous harvests instead of a brief window. This heirloom cilantro is suited to containers, raised beds, and garden plots alike, and its organic, open-pollinated genetics mean you can save seeds year after year. With around 2,200 seeds per ounce, a small packet goes remarkably far, and staggering plantings every two weeks transforms it into a perpetual kitchen herb.
Common Uses
Santo Cilantro is grown as a culinary herb, prized for its fresh leaves that remain tender and flavorful throughout an extended harvest window. Home cooks and chef-driven farmers market growers use it to garnish soups, salsas, curries, and salads, applications where fresh green cilantro leaves are essential and consistent supply matters. Its suitability for container cultivation also makes it popular with kitchen gardeners who want fresh herbs steps from the stove.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-spring
First Harvest
4-6 Weeks After Sowing
Last Harvest
Throughout Summer, Depending On Planting Time
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow Santo Cilantro seeds outdoors 0.25 to 0.5 inches deep into workable soil after the last spring frost. You can begin sowing as soon as soil can be worked in spring. For continuous harvests, stagger successive plantings every two weeks throughout the growing season.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting Santo Cilantro leaves 50 to 59 days after planting. Pinch or cut the outer leaves as soon as the plant is large enough to yield usable foliage, working from the outside inward. This encourages bushier growth and delays bolting. Continue harvesting throughout the season, removing leaves before the plant sets flower buds. The longer you can harvest before bolting occurs, the more you'll appreciate Santo's superior holding power compared to standard varieties.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Coriandrum sativum L.
Family
Apiaceae
Genus
Coriandrum
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)HI (I)PR (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Santo Cilantro carries the designation of heirloom and open-pollinated variety, meaning its lineage has been preserved through traditional seed saving rather than commercial hybridization. It emerged from breeding work focused on solving one of cilantro's most frustrating problems: the tendency to bolt into flower almost as soon as you've begun harvesting. By selecting for delayed bolting as a primary trait, growers created a variety that respects a cook's timeline and a farmer's market schedule, allowing both home and commercial cultivators to harvest continuously rather than racing against the plant's biological clock.”