When to plant · 38 cities · zones 5b–6a
When to plant cilantro in Illinois
Direct sow cilantro around Apr 3 — the Illinois statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 17 across 1,402 ZIP codes and 192 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow in 60–70 °F soil, a short row every two weeks from four weeks before the last frost until the heat arrives, then again from late summer.
Illinois cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 17, first fall frost Oct 21, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Direct sow | Apr 3 | May 18 | 45 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Illinois's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Illinois, city by city
Cilantro, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicagozone 6a | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Aurorazone 5b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Napervillezone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Jolietzone 5b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Rockfordzone 5b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Elginzone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Springfieldzone 6a | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | May 16 |
| Peoriazone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Champaignzone 6a | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | May 16 |
| Waukeganzone 6a | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Cicerozone 6a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Bloomingtonzone 6a | Apr 21 | Apr 7 | May 22 |
| Schaumburgzone 5b | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Evanstonzone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Arlington Heightszone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Bolingbrookzone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | May 21 |
| Decaturzone 6a | Apr 14 | Mar 31 | May 15 |
| Palatinezone 5b | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Skokiezone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Des Plaineszone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Orland Parkzone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | May 21 |
| Oak Lawnzone 6a | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Mount Prospectzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Berwynzone 6a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Tinley Parkzone 6a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Wheatonzone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Normalzone 6a | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Oak Parkzone 6a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Hoffman Estateszone 5b | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Downers Grovezone 6a | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Plainfieldzone 5b | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | May 21 |
| Glenviewzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Elmhurstzone 6a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Lombardzone 6a | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Buffalo Grovezone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Molinezone 5b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Crystal Lakezone 5b | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 1 |
| Romeovillezone 6a | Apr 20 | Apr 6 | May 21 |
What these cilantro become
What Illinois cilantro need
Cilantro / Coriander Seed
Bolts in a heartbeat and there is nothing you can do about it — so you succession-sow instead of fighting it. Non-negotiable in salsa verde and zhoug.
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
Ocean Forest Potting SoilMust have
Pre-charged with enough nutrition to carry a transplant for its first month without feeding, which is exactly the window when most container plants stall.
5-Gallon Fabric Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Fabric pots air-prune roots and drain faster than a plastic pot can, which is the entire reason container tomatoes fail. Five gallons is the honest minimum for a pepper; a tomato wants ten.
AG-30 Frost Protection Row Cover
AG-30 buys roughly 6 °F of frost protection while passing about 70% of light — enough to carry a crop through an early-October cold snap that would otherwise end your season two weeks short.
6" Micro-Tip Pruning SnipsMust have
Ninety percent of sauce-garden cutting is snipping a pepper stem or a basil node, and a fine-tipped snip does it better than any pruner. Pulling peppers by hand tears the branch.
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Cilantro in Illinois: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Illinois?
Direct sow around Apr 3 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 24 in the warmest tenth of Illinois's ZIP codes to Apr 13 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 3 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Illinois?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 17. In the warmest tenth of Illinois's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 7; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 27.
When will Illinois cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 18: 45 days from sow.
More for Illinois
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant carrots
- When to plant mustard greens
Cilantro in every state → · Illinois frost dates → · How frost-date math works →