culantro, sounds like cillianto but i dont recognise it, cud you give a latin name?

It's definately CUlantro... Well, most tropicals like humidity and at least bright light... as much as you can give it in the winter... and HEAT... hard things to do... you might get one of those cheapo plastic greenhouses that you can get... and do your best to keep it warm and humid. Central air is really hard on tropicals, dries them right out. :o(

Culantro is Asian Coriander (Eryngium foetidum) also known as Mexican Coriander, Recao, Long Coriander, Perennial Coriander, False Coriander, Ngo gai, Spirit Weed, Fitweed.

It's a tropical plant, treated as an annual in cooler areas.

Propagate by seeds, sown in spring. They can be slow to germinate, often more than 21 days, and are best given bottom heat around 24C. Keep the soil moist but not wet while germinating, and use a deeper tray than usual to accommodate the tap root. Transplant about 8 weeks after the seedlings emerge. Occasionally propagated by root cuttings taken in early spring, but the plant does not tolerate root disturbance well. Grows best in moist, shaded positions with good drainage. It can survive in poor soils, but it is best to feed frequently with high-nitrogen fertiliser to keep the leaves soft. Does not tolerate frost. Cut off the flower stalks frequently to ensure continuing production of new leaves. May be planted indoors in cold areas.

Harvest leaves at any time once the plant is about 2-3 months old. The entire rosette is cut off with a knife at the soil line. Leaves can be dried, and retain their flavour better than Coriander. Seeds are contained in a cone-shaped, spiny seed head. Cut them off once they have opened and remove the seeds.

Leaves can be added to stews, soups, bean dishes, chutney. Roots and leaves are used in Thai cooking. It holds its flavour better when cooked than coriander. The roots and leaves are used in Thai cooking.

Didn't grow very big for me (3-inch leaves), but yes, definitely a shade-loving plant.

I want to thank you for the quick and great responses.

I cannot find culantro plants in San Antonio, Tx. Where did you get seeds from?

culantro is a variety of cilantro and tastes the same only much more intense.

It looks very diferent it is also known as long coriander and ngo gai. I find it at the chinese markets.

grow it in containers because it will take over your yard just like mint does

It grows wild in Cuba and Puerto Rico YUM!

Would you share some seeds?

Here is a link that might be useful:

I grow both culantro, Eryngium foetidum, and Vietnamese coriander, Polygonum odoratum, in pots all year. They go outside in the spring and keep indoors all winter. Both do fine as houseplants, if they get enough light. Have never seen any pests on them (now, I just jinxed myself). I bought them as small plants from Richters. Have never had seeds from either plant.

WOW! I am so excited i found this post!! I make my own spice mix for cooking (sofrito) and have been wanting to find out if i could grow this in addition to cilantro since it is a little hard to find in markets. Where did you get the seeds?

I tried growing culantro from seeds years ago, w/o much luck. I remember I got the seeds from Johnnie's Seeds, that they were very small, and the plants didn't get very big, in several locations I tried them in. I didn't try them indoors, so maybe I will do that, as I have found cilantro to grow better indoors than out around here.

Does culantro get bitter tasting and unusable when it bolts, like cilantro, or is it still usable? Does it regenerate itself, like parsley, when cut? I figure I'd better find out if I'm going to try again...

Has anyone tried rooting it from the cuttings you buy at the asian markets? I did this with rao rom and had it growing like a weed this year, and now have a few cuttings rooting for the winter. That is the only herb from there I have done this with, but I'm sure it will work with others.

Dave

Hello everybody this is my first post and is a question to someone who has grown recao i think is a little hard to germinate or maybe i am doing something wrong i got the seeds about 3 weeks ago and i remember to put them in seed starter mix that i bought from lowe's ferry morse brand anyways only one has sprout and the rest don't give any signs of life however i did't use bottom heat from the beginning up untill about a week ago my question is: Is there a change for the rest to germinate ? I am starting to think they wouldn't germinate after trying for 3 weeks but any help will be very appreciated thanks .

I have a culantro plant that was going to be an indoor kitchen herb, used in much the same way as cilantro. It needed pruning and I was cutting it, and the smell was insecticidal. Awful! I couldn't get it's oils, the smell off my hands. I washed and washed and washed. Finally, I went out in the garden and got some rosemary and that did the trick.

My two cents...I hate the stuff. I can't understand why anyone would want to cook with it or put it on their food. It's repulsive in smell.

I agree about the smell. But as a cilantro replacement in dishes... It works, and with a lot less effort!

I grow mine in a pot under our deck table. It likes shade.

When I lived in Delaware I grew culantro in my outdoor garden very successfully. It is one of the herbs I rely on for many recipes. I love the flavor it gives to tuna salad (by adding 1 or 2 minced leaves) I moved to central Florida. I know this plant is supposed to be 'tropical' but I'm having a heck of a time trying to get any plants established outdoors here. Every day is BLAZING hot. Even though shaded, they all shrivel up and die on me. I've always gotten my seeds from this site: http://www.caribbeanseeds.com/culantro.htm

I've been trying to grow Culantro from seed for the first time this year. While it hasn't completely died, it doesn't seem to be growing either. It germinated just fine, but the plants are extremely tiny, delicate, little things. Inside, in my kitchen window, it wasn't growing, so I tried sitting it out on the deck where it could get more sun. Hasn't done much there either. A fair number of the plants did die, but there are a fair number left that just seem to be sitting there, doing nothing. Is that normal? Are they just extremely slow growing? Am I doing something wrong?

They're slow-growing, and they require SHADE. Not a happy plant in hot sunlight, nuh-uh.

They also need a good bit of water.

Try putting it UNDER a table or bench on your deck!

Thanks for the advice. It helps to know what to expect.

As close as I've come to perfect culantro growing conditions thru much trial and error; the plants are roughly 12 months old from seed, growing in a mix of rich compost and sand.

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The table tends to direct most of the rainwater into the container, and these plants definitely like water.

I think I need some recipes...

My husband and I have our beautiful culantro growing great - has its shade area, moist soil - but we keep getting these little white bugs all over the plant. We tried the soap/water thing - sprayed all over. But it doesn't seem to be working that great. Any suggestions anyone? We live in good ol' central fla! We CANNOT lose our recao! Necessity for our latin cooking!

i recently bought 4 small culantro plants. I repotted them as they were rootbound and they all did well for about a week then one just started wilting. I have maybe one decent leaf left on it. However, the rest so far are doing fine. I am in ND and want to grow these inside in containers during the winter as I love the taste. I ordered some grow lights for them but then i was reading that they don't like hot sun. Does that mean they won't like grow lights either???? Also what should I feed them and how often also watering them, I was told just to spray them every day!!! My aim is for nice big flavorful leaves!!!!!! Thanks to all who can help

sure would be nice if someone would offer up some seeds :)
I found culantro at Lowe's this year (first I'd ever heard of it) and it did okay in a pot, until i left it in the sun too long...I'd like to try it again. Sapnish tarragon was another first for me that I'll try again.
jg

I'm from Puerto Rico where getting recao (culantro) is as easy as going out in the backyard and picking it from any of many spots where it grows wild.

Now, I live in CO where it is hot and dry -not ideal growing conditions by any means. Of course, recao seeds and/or seedlings, are not something i can get off the shelf at my local nursery much less supermarket (like in PR). I did find some at the local Asian market though...kinda frozen, kind scary.

Finally, i found a place to get seeds - caribbeanseeds.com and a place that sells started plants - companionplants.com

Good prices and really good service.

From seed (esp in CO) recao grows pretty slow even slower if you bury the seeds - sprinkle em on the top and keep moist and shaded.

I'm growing some indoors and some out - seems to like the outdoor better so far -outside is growing quicker. I think b/c it's warmer than inside my house (?)

Seedlings - have one inside -it's growing, but it's a little too dry for it, so I'm working on creating a better environment.

Have another seedling outside which I've only just put out there (and it's been uncommonly humid these last few days) so I can't say how that one will due now that it's back to dry hot heat...I'm sure I'll have to work on keeping it humid as is the case with most herbs here - they wanna bolt.

Hmmm... I'm south Florida... Ft. Lauderdale area and the Home Depots near me sell Culantro all the time. I'd never heard of it until I started herb growing, but I chose to buy Cilantro instead but MAN do I LOOOOOVE cilantro! I'm kind of curious about Culantro now. I might pick up a plant.

My cilantro, however, isn't very lush. I wouldn't say it's quite dying, but it seems to be just hanging onto it's patheticness LOL so I just a few little leaves here and there.

I moved it to shade under a tree, though, since it's about 90 degrees out now and I water it daily.

i hope someone can help me. i am looking for a recipe of Sofrito that i can can up. i am also looking for culantro seeds, i hear the plant tastes similar to cilantro.

Try goo for a recipe and one of these for seeds:

Richters
Horizon Herbs
Nichols Garden Nursery
Pinetree Seeds
Johnny Seeds

FataMorgana