When to plant · 27 cities · zones 7b–8b
When to plant cilantro in North Carolina
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 17 — the North Carolina statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Mar 31 across 853 ZIP codes and 185 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.
North Carolina cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Mar 31, first fall frost Nov 4, 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 | Mar 17 | May 1 | 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 North Carolina's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in North Carolina, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottezone 8a | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 |
| Raleighzone 8a | Mar 28 | Mar 14 | Apr 28 |
| Greensborozone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Durhamzone 8a | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 3 |
| Winston-Salemzone 8a | Mar 26 | Mar 12 | Apr 26 |
| Fayettevillezone 8a | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 |
| Caryzone 8a | Mar 27 | Mar 13 | Apr 27 |
| Wilmingtonzone 8b | Mar 19 | Mar 5 | Apr 19 |
| High Pointzone 8a | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 |
| Concordzone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Greenvillezone 8a | Mar 27 | Mar 13 | Apr 27 |
| Ashevillezone 7b | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Gastoniazone 8a | Mar 27 | Mar 13 | Apr 27 |
| Apexzone 8a | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Jacksonvillezone 8b | Mar 23 | Mar 9 | Apr 23 |
| Huntersvillezone 8a | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 |
| Chapel Hillzone 8a | Mar 31 | Mar 17 | May 1 |
| Burlingtonzone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Kannapoliszone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Wake Forestzone 8a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Rocky Mountzone 8a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Mooresvillezone 8a | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Holly Springszone 8a | Mar 31 | Mar 17 | May 1 |
| Wilsonzone 8a | Mar 22 | Mar 8 | Apr 22 |
| Fuquay-Varinazone 8a | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Hickoryzone 8a | Mar 31 | Mar 17 | May 1 |
| Indian Trailzone 8a | Mar 31 | Mar 17 | May 1 |
What these cilantro become
What North Carolina 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 North Carolina: questions
When should I plant cilantro in North Carolina?
Direct sow around Mar 17 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 8 in the warmest tenth of North Carolina's ZIP codes to Apr 5 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 16 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in North Carolina?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Mar 31. In the warmest tenth of North Carolina's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 22; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 19.
When will North Carolina cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 1: 45 days from sow.
More for North Carolina
- 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 → · North Carolina frost dates → · How frost-date math works →