Overview

Embark on a culinary adventure by growing your own flavorful herbs with this generous packet of culantro seeds. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum), also widely known as Mexican Coriander, Recao, or Long Coriander, is an annual herb celebrated for its robust, cilantro-like flavor, but with an even stronger aroma that holds up better to cooking. These premium organic culantro seeds are non-GMO, ensuring you start with the purest genetic material for a healthy and productive harvest. Ideal for home gardeners and food enthusiasts, culantro is a staple in many Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cuisines, adding a distinctive depth to soups, stews, and marinades. Growing culantro from seed is a rewarding experience, providing a continuous supply of this unique herb right from your garden or windowsill, suitable for both indoor and outdoor cultivation.

Unlike its more common cousin, cilantro, culantro’s leaves are longer and serrated, making them easily distinguishable. The plant forms a rosette of leaves at its base, which are the primary culinary part. With its relatively easy cultivation, even novice gardeners can enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting fresh, aromatic culantro. Our culantro seeds are carefully selected to ensure high germination rates, giving you the best possible start to your herb garden. Discover the rich, authentic taste that fresh culantro brings to your dishes.

Key Benefits

Growing culantro offers a multitude of benefits, from enhancing your culinary creations to enriching your gardening experience. This versatile herb is a must-have for any enthusiast:

• Authentic Flavor Enhancement: Culantro provides a powerful, distinctive aroma and taste that is often described as a more intense version of cilantro. It’s essential for authentic Caribbean, Latin American, and Southeast Asian dishes, adding unparalleled depth to your cooking.
• Easy to Grow from Seed: These organic culantro seeds are known for their strong germination and relatively straightforward cultivation process. They are suitable for gardeners of all skill levels, offering a rewarding growing experience with minimal fuss.
• Continuous Harvest: As an annual herb, culantro can be harvested repeatedly throughout its growing season. The more you pick the outer leaves, the more the plant will produce, ensuring a steady supply of fresh herbs for your kitchen.
• Versatile Culinary Use: Perfect for a wide array of dishes, from traditional sofrito and pho to various curries and stews. Its robust flavor stands up well to heat, unlike cilantro, making it ideal for longer cooking times.
• Health Benefits: Culantro is rich in vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, and carotene. It is also believed to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, contributing to a healthy diet.
• Adaptable to Various Environments: These recao seeds can thrive in both indoor and outdoor settings, provided they receive appropriate light and moisture. This flexibility allows you to enjoy fresh culantro regardless of your living situation or climate.
• Non-GMO Assurance: Our seeds are non-genetically modified, offering you peace of mind that you are growing a natural and healthy product, true to its original form.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Culantro (Eryngium foetidum) is a relatively easy herb to grow, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced gardeners. To ensure a successful harvest from your culantro seeds, pay close attention to its specific needs regarding light, water, and soil. Culantro thrives in conditions that mimic its native tropical environment, preferring warmth and consistent moisture.

For sunlight, culantro seeds and established plants prefer partial shade, especially in hotter climates where direct, intense afternoon sun can scorch its leaves. In cooler regions or for indoor growing, it can tolerate more sun, but bright indirect light is generally best. Aim for 4-6 hours of sunlight daily. When it comes to watering, culantro requires consistently moist soil. Do not let the soil dry out completely between waterings, as this can stress the plant and affect flavor. However, ensure good drainage to prevent root rot. A well-draining potting mix or garden soil amended with compost is ideal. The USDA hardiness zones for culantro are typically 9-11 if grown as a perennial, but it is often cultivated as an annual in most other zones. Fertilize lightly every 4-6 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer during the growing season. Common problems include yellowing leaves from overwatering or nutrient deficiency, and bolting (flowering) if exposed to too much heat or prolonged dry periods. Regular harvesting can help delay bolting.

To start your organic culantro seeds, sow them just below the soil surface, about 1/4 inch deep. Germination can be slow and erratic, sometimes taking 2-3 weeks or more, so patience is key. Providing consistent warmth (around 70-75°F or 21-24°C) and high humidity can aid germination. Once seedlings emerge, thin them to about 6-8 inches apart to allow for proper air circulation and growth. Growing culantro indoors can extend your harvesting season, especially in climates with cold winters. Ensure it receives adequate light and humidity to mimic its natural habitat. Understanding how to grow culantro successfully means providing a balance of shade, moisture, and well-drained soil.

Size & Details

This product includes a generous quantity of culantro seeds, providing you with 200+ individual seeds to start your herb garden. Each seed is non-GMO and collected from fresh stock, ensuring viability and strong growth potential. Culantro plants typically grow to a height of 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) with a spread of similar dimensions, forming a compact rosette of leaves. The leaves themselves are long, strap-like, and serrated, reaching lengths of 6-10 inches.

These mexican coriander seeds are typically shipped in a protective seed packet, ready for planting. While germination can take a few weeks, once established, culantro is a relatively fast-growing annual herb. Expect to begin harvesting outer leaves approximately 60-90 days after planting. The plant’s life cycle is annual, but in warmer, frost-free climates (USDA zones 9-11), it can sometimes self-seed or persist as a short-lived perennial. The specific quantity of 200+ seeds provides ample opportunity for multiple plantings or for sharing with fellow gardening enthusiasts.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How many culantro seeds are included in this packet? A: This packet contains 200+ culantro seeds, providing a generous quantity for planting and ensuring a robust harvest. You’ll have plenty to start your herb garden or for successive plantings.
• Q: Is culantro difficult to grow from seed? A: While germination can sometimes be slow and erratic, culantro is generally considered an easy herb to grow once established. Patience is key during the initial sprouting phase, and consistent moisture and warmth will aid success.
• Q: What is the best way to plant these organic culantro seeds? A: Sow the seeds lightly, about 1/4 inch deep, in well-draining soil. Maintain consistent moisture and warmth (70-75°F) for optimal germination. You can start them indoors and transplant once established.
• Q: Can I grow culantro indoors? A: Yes, culantro seeds can be successfully grown indoors. Provide a location with bright, indirect light and maintain consistent soil moisture. Indoor growing allows for fresh culantro year-round, especially in cooler climates.
• Q: What is the difference between culantro and cilantro? A: While both have a similar flavor profile, culantro has a much stronger, more pungent taste and aroma than cilantro, and its leaves are longer and serrated. Culantro also holds its flavor better when cooked.
• Q: How much sunlight does culantro need? A: Culantro prefers partial shade, especially in hot climates, to prevent leaf scorching. In cooler regions or indoors, it can handle more sun, but bright indirect light is generally best. Aim for 4-6 hours of light daily.
• Q: How often should I water my culantro plants? A: Culantro requires consistently moist soil. Water regularly, ensuring the soil doesn’t dry out completely between waterings. Good drainage is crucial to prevent root rot.
• Q: When is the best time to plant culantro seeds? A: For outdoor planting, sow after the last frost in spring. For a continuous supply, you can sow successive batches every few weeks. Indoors, organic culantro seeds can be started any time of year.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for growing culantro? A: Culantro thrives in rich, well-draining soil. Amending your garden soil or potting mix with compost can improve its texture and nutrient content, providing an ideal environment for your recao seeds.
• Q: Can I use culantro in cooking? A: Absolutely! Culantro is a culinary staple, especially in Caribbean, Latin American, and Asian cuisines. It’s perfect for adding robust flavor to sofrito, soups, stews, rice dishes, and marinades.