Sep 28 2024

Nope, It's Not a Typo. It's Culantro!

Every time we type "culantro", our auto-spell check tries to correct it to "cilantro". Every. Time. And we admit, when taking culantro seed orders over the phone, we've had to double check once or twice: "Did you mean culantro, or cilantro?" So let's get this straight: We're writing about the lesser-known but absolutely-deserving-of-attention culantro (pronounced "kuh-lant-row") today.

Origins and History

Unlike cilantro, which is native to the Mediterranean region, culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is a tropical herb native to the jungles of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the West Indies. Interestingly, colonists brought cilantro to these regions, where the names are often interchangeable in spite of the difference in the plants' appearance. Other names for culantro include:

In Puerto Rico: Recao
In Haiti: Coulante
In Guyana: Fit weed
In Trinidad and Tobago: Shado beni and bhandhania
In the Dominican Republic: Chadron benee
In Latin America: Cilantro de hoja ancha (wide-leafed cilantro)
In the United States: Sawtooth cilantro

Culantro's become an international hit. According to Christopher Ramcharan at Purdue University, it's now a staple in many Asian dishes, and there's a growing market for the herb in cities with large international populations such as London and Toronto. Where it's native, such as in Puerto Rico, it's become a huge export crop. Are you a vendor at a farmer's market in an urban area? You might want to grow and sell culantro.

Medicinal Purposes

Culantro's long been used as an anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever, an appetite-enhancer, and as a flu remedy. Constipated? Give culantro a try! Been stung by a scorpion or bitten by a poisonous snake? Slap on a culantro poultice... and then go to a real doctor, pronto! It's called "fit weed" in Guyana because there, it's a traditional treatment for seizures. While the entire plant is utilized for medicinal purposes, you can use culantro seeds to make essential oils.

Culantro leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant—they're rich in calcium and boron, iron, riboflavin, carotene, and vitamins A, B1, B2, and C.

Flavor and Culinary Uses

Culantro has a similar taste to cilantro, just amplified. It's often used in Indian chutneys, and even where it's a native plant it's often used interchangeably with cilantro. Because its flavor is more robust than cilantro, and the leaves are tougher, it works well in slow-cooked recipes where otherwise the flavor would be depleted... but it's also popular in salads, salad dressings, and pestos. Sofrito is a traditional Latin American cooking base made with culantro; you can learn how to make it here.

Plant Description

Culantro grows close to the ground in leafy rosettes, somewhat similar to dandelions. They have long, narrow, sharply serrated leaves. Culantro plants can grow 10 to 12 inches tall with a 16" spread, and they send up flower stalks that appear to have spiny leaflet "collars". If left alone, these annuals will bloom with tiny white flowers, but it's best to cut off those stalks as soon as you notice them, as the plant will quickly die back after going to seed, and the flavor is depleted with flower production.

Where to Grow Culantro at Home

If you don't have much direct sunlight in your garden, you'll be happy to hear that culantro is a semi-shade-loving herb. In fact, when grown in partial shade, culantro leaves may be more nutrition-dense. Unlike cilantro, which grows best in cooler weather, culantro thrives when the temperatures get nice and warm in the summer.

Culantro does best in consistently-moist, humus-rich soils. Choose a place that will get regular irrigation, and amend the bed with well-aged compost. While we like to err on the side of well-draining soil, culantro can tolerate heavier soils. Aim for a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.

Want to grow culantro indoors? Pot up some plants and keep them in a bright window out of direct sunlight. They also make great potted patio herbs.

Growing Culantro from Seed

While you can sow culantro directly outdoors, and that's their preference, you can give them a head start by germinating the tiny seeds indoors where you can keep an eye on them. We recommend starting them in biodegradable containers such as CowPots to protect the plant's taproot—don't wait too long to put them out in your garden beds, though, since they do grow quickly.

Sow your culantro seeds directly on the soil surface, as they need sunlight to germinate. Keep the soil moist using a spray bottle on the mist setting. You might want to put tented plastic wrap over your seed containers to help retain moisture, at least until germination—which usually takes about 10 to 14 days, but can be as long as three weeks.

Transplant or thin your culantro seedlings eight to 12 inches apart for best results.

Common Culantro Pests and Diseases

Culantro is sometimes used to ward off bugs, and therefore it doesn't have many insect pests in the garden. It is, however, susceptible to diseases common to other leafy vegetables, including leaf spot, fusarium wilt, and apium virus Y disease, which is common with cilantro. The best way to prevent disease in your culantro beds is to give them proper spacing and good air circulation, and irrigate at the soil level if possible.

Harvesting Culantro

Culantro matures in about 70 days, but you can enjoy the herb as soon as it's had a chance to get established. Pick culantro leaves as you need them, and they'll keep producing. Wrap the leaves in a paper towel and keep them in the fridge where they'll last up to a week. If you plan to make medicinal tea from your leaves, you can dry them on a flat screen or in your dehydrator, or simply pull the entire plant from the ground and hang it, inverted, in a cool, dry area with good air circulation.

Ready to Give Culantro a Shot?

If you love cilantro but want something that packs more of a punch—and thrives in hotter climates—you can learn more about growing culantro from seed on our product page. And as always, we're here to answer your questions should you need help!