What to Plant with Cilantro (And What to Avoid)

You’re already growing basil and parsley. But if you’re looking to add something new to your garden, cilantro is a wonderful, easy-care addition. For starters, its flavor is crisp, bright and intense when freshly picked, so it’s amazing in your favorite salsa recipe. Granted not everyone adores cilantro; some people actually have a gene that causes cilantro to taste like soap. But for the rest of us, it’s an easy-to-grow herb that has multiple harvest times.

Intrigued? We’re here to help—here’s how to care for cilantro, as well as our recommendations for what to plant with it (and what to avoid).

You can harvest cilantro leaves fresh, then let the plant go to flower, which will happen when the temperatures begin to rise. Pollinators go crazy for these tall flowers, which attract parasitic insects that feed on the nectar and attack unwanted garden pests such as caterpillars, stink bugs and aphids. Once the flowers go to seed, harvest the entire head and place it in a paper bag to catch all the tiny seeds, which are the spice coriander. Any seeds that fall in your garden may pop up again next spring.

In addition, some gardeners believe planting cilantro with specific companion plants is beneficial. Although companion planting is mostly folklore, it’s based on the theory that certain plants may improve yield, keep bad bugs away and attract beneficial ones when planted together. It’s mostly anecdotal evidence, but there’s no harm in interplanting cilantro with other edibles and flowers; it will definitely bring in the pollinators needed for fruiting in plants such as squash and pumpkins.

When planting anything near your cilantro, make sure they’re plants that like similar environmental conditions. Cilantro tends to prefer cool whether, so it’s happiest in spring and fall gardens. It also has shallow roots, so it likes steady water, though it doesn’t want to stay sopping wet. Although it needs full sun in northern climates, cilantro prefers some shade, especially in the afternoon, in hotter parts of the country.

There are several plants that don’t generally do well when planted near cilantro. Lavender, thyme and rosemary prefer dry conditions, so they don’t thrive around cilantro, which likes regular watering. Fennel is another edible you should avoid as a companion plant for cilantro because it’s believed that cilantro hinders fennel seed formation.

Arricca Elin SanSone is a gardener with more than 15 years of experience. In addition to PureWow, she writes for Prevention, Country Living, Veranda, The Spruce, and many other national publications. She also trials new plant cultivars and field tests garden products to evaluate practicality and durability.