Leisure Cilantro Coriandrum sativum ‘Leisure’
LATIN NAME: Coriandrum sativum
COMMON NAME: Leisure Cilantro
The Leisure cilantro glosses the low, ferny crowns in the close rows, the whole planting staying in the fresh, generous look of the kitchen garden bed. The fast-growing, annual herb carries the flat, deeply divided, fern-like, bright-green lower leaves and the finer, thread-like upper leaves in the low, bushy crowns, and the small, white or pale-pink flowers in the small, flat-topped umbels, through the late spring and the early summer, one of the fresh, quiet sights of the kitchen garden bed, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, round, ribbed, pale-brown seeds with the strong, warm scent. The ribbed seeds have a very long record as the fine, leaf corianders of the old gardens, and the plant is a historic presence of the kitchen garden bed. It is a plant of the open, sunny, light, moist, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Leisure cilantro is a historic subject of the plant science, and the slow habit keeps showing up in the work on the leaf corianders. The way the small, white or pale-pink flowers form in the small, flat-topped umbels has been studied closely, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the leaf corianders, the divided leaves and the members of the carrot family. The ribbed seeds and the slow habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the Leisure cilantro is a regular subject of the work on the slow habit of the temperate world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The Leisure cilantro is a fresh, useful plant of the kitchen garden bed and the study collection. The flat, deeply divided, fern-like, bright-green lower leaves in the low, bushy crowns carry the fresh look of the kitchen garden bed, one of the fresh, quiet sights of the kitchen garden bed, drawing the bees, and the ribbed seeds have a very long record as the fine, leaf corianders of the old gardens, the leafy tops staying low and lasting through the warm weeks, coming to the salsas, the salads and the steady practice of the old kitchens, while the small, white or pale-pink flowers in the small, flat-topped umbels open through the late spring and the early summer, to be followed by the small, round, ribbed, pale-brown seeds with the strong, warm scent. It is one of the fine choices for the kitchen garden bed, the leaf row and the study collection, and it has been written about in the culinary and the horticultural papers for the lasting leaves and the very long history. It is a fresh, useful plant of the open, sunny, light, moist, well-drained garden.
The Leisure seeds grow fast in a rich, leafy mix kept moist. The young plants are low and fresh, and they appreciate the light, moist ground of the leaf row.
To grow the Leisure cilantro from seed, sow the round, ribbed seeds directly across the surface of the flat of rich, leafy mix, water gently, then keep the flat in a bright, open spot. The seedlings show themselves within a couple of weeks, and they grow on fast. With the sun and the light, moist ground, the low glossy crowns will stay close over the spring months.
Uses: Culinary/Medicinal/Industrial
(Chinese parsley) High yielding commercial variety with attractive glossy green leaves, uniform growth habit, and consistent quality. Tolerates summer heat well and is bolt-resistant. Excellent choice for fresh cilantro. Ready for harvest in 28 to 80 days depending on the season. This variety is also used for sprouting.
Seeds are tested for bacterial leaf spot (Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola).
This annual herb grows 18-24 inches tall and is slower to bolt then coriander santo The aromatic and flavorful leaves are harvested as cilantro and seeds are coriander. A favorite in Latin American, Mexican, and Chinese dishes.