Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

HerbExotic

Coriander

Coriandrum sativum

كزبرة

A strictly cool-season herb: sow directly from October to February, pick within about 30 to 60 days, and expect it to bolt once the weather passes about 30°C.

Mature size0.2–0.6 m tall, 0.15–0.3 m spreadGrowthFastSunSun/part shadeWaterModerate

Heat: 1 of 5

Salt: 2 of 5

Drought: 1 of 5

Shade: 3 of 5

Ease of care: 3 of 5

Use in a design Get it looked after

Season

Through the Dubai year

How Coriander behaves through Dubai's seasons, month by month.

JJan

FFeb

MMar

AApr

MMay

JJun

JJul

AAug

SSep

OOct

NNov

DDec

Avg high °C

24°

26°

29°

34°

38°

40°

42°

40°

36°

31°

27°

Sow little and often

Oct – Dec

Aphids and leaf miner

Jan – Mar

Leaf harvest

Jan – Apr

Bolting: white flowers appear

Mar – May

Coriander seed from bolted plants

Too hot for leaf

Apr – Sep

Sow little and often: Oct–Feb
Ministry calendar: field sowing October–November. Garden centres say October to February, every two to three weeks, direct into the final pot or bed.
Aphids and leaf miner: Nov–Mar
Look for sticky tips or pale tunnels in leaves (seed supplier's guide).
Leaf harvest: Nov–Apr
Cut outer leaves from about 30–60 days after sowing; the Ministry calendar gives 50–60 days.
Bolting: white flowers appear: Mar–May
A change from rounded leaves to feathery foliage is the bolting signal (seed supplier's guide).
Coriander seed from bolted plants: Apr–May
Harvest when the round green fruits dry to tan-brown; store airtight away from heat and light.
Too hot for leaf: Apr–Sep
Garden-centre guidance in Dubai: coriander bolts once temperatures rise above about 30°C.

Coriander has one of the clearest short seasons in the garden. Sowing begins in October and runs until February, direct into the final pot or bed and repeated every two to three weeks. Leaves are ready about 30 to 60 days after sowing, so picking runs from November to April, with aphids and leaf miner worth watching for from November to March. As the weather warms in March to May, plants shift from rounded leaves to feathery foliage, then flower and set seed, which can be collected from April to May once the fruits dry to tan-brown. From April to September the heat is too much for leaf, and the bed moves on to okra or stays empty until October.

Meet the plant

Meet the Coriander

Meet coriander, the herb that smells of every kitchen at once. Brush a leaf in the first weeks of winter and the scent is immediate, green and citrusy, and a pot of it on the terrace puts fresh leaf on the table within about six weeks of sowing.

Its character is quick and short-tempered. It likes cool weather, sun without fierceness and regular water, and it resents being moved. Once the days warm past about 30°C it stops caring about leaves altogether, sending up a tall, lacy stem that flowers and sets seed. The gardener's answer is not to fight that but to plan around it, sowing little and often through the cool months.

What it brings is three crops from one packet of seed: fresh leaf through the winter, white flowers that attract bees in spring and, if you let a few plants run on, dry coriander seed for the spice jar. It is the cheapest, fastest herb in the library.

Coriander, called cilantro in North America, is a cool-season herb in Dubai's calendar, and it is strict about it. The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment lists field sowing in October and November, with harvest 50 to 60 days later, and a Dubai garden centre gives October to February only, stopping sowing by February. Sow directly where it will grow. Coriander has a sensitive taproot and transplants poorly (seed supplier's guide), so a pot at least 25 cm wide or a row in a bed is better than seedlings from a tray.

Heat is the limit. Coriander bolts, which means it stops producing leaf and runs to flower and seed, as temperatures rise: Dubai garden-centre guidance puts the trigger at about 30°C, and Dubai's average daily maximum is 34°C by April. A seed supplier's guide says the clearest bolting signal is the change from rounded leaves to feathery foliage. The remedy is succession sowing, a small batch every two to three weeks from October to February, with leaf harvests from about 30 to 60 days after sowing, taking outer leaves while the plant is still leafy. Aphids and leaf miner are the usual pests.

Let a few plants bolt on purpose. When the round green fruits dry to tan-brown they are coriander seed, which keeps well in an airtight jar away from heat and light. In the plot, thin seedlings to 15 to 20 cm, keep the soil evenly moist and give light afternoon shade in March. Coriander is one of the herbs named by the Ministry when it encouraged residents to grow food at home under the Plant the Emirates programme in October 2024.

Design

Where to use it

Container herbBed-edge herbSalad garden fillerCool-season kitchen crop

Grow coriander in a pot at least 25 cm wide or along the edge of a raised bed, close enough to the kitchen to cut leaves as you need them. Give it morning sun and some afternoon shade as March warms, and sow it where it will stay, since it does not transplant well. Plant a few extra seeds in the gaps beside slower crops so that the bed stays productive, and keep a small, separate pot to let run to seed for the spice jar.

Lettuce

A fast, cool-season salad partner with the same October-to-February sowing window, sharing drip line, feed and harvest calendar.

Basil

Another kitchen herb that starts in October; basil handles more heat, so it can follow coriander in the same pot when the weather warms.

Curry leaf

A year-round perennial herb in a large pot beside the seasonal coriander gives a ready supply of both for Indian-style cooking.

Care guide

How to grow it in Dubai

Watering: Summer: Not grown in summer in Dubai; plants bolt in the heat and the crop is finished by about April.
Winter: Every one to two days in pots, keeping the soil evenly moist but not soggy.
Establishment: Keep the seed bed evenly moist until seedlings are up; sow seeds about 0.6–1.2 cm deep and do not let the surface crust or dry out.
Soil: Light, free-draining soil enriched with compost, or a rich potting mix in a pot at least 25 cm across.
Feeding: A light liquid feed every two to three weeks; too much nitrogen gives soft growth that attracts aphids.
Pruning: Harvest outer leaves first while the plant stays leafy; let a few plants bolt to set seed.
Planting: Sow October–February directly where it will grow, 0.6–1.2 cm deep, and thin to 15–20 cm. Re-sow a small batch every two to three weeks and stop by February.
Pests: AphidsLeaf miner

Avoid these

Common mistakes

Sowing in a tray and transplanting. Coriander has a sensitive taproot and transplants poorly, so sow where it will grow.
Sowing everything at once. Plants bolt on a fixed schedule, so a single big sowing gives a glut and then nothing.
Sowing in the heat of early October. Wait until nights ease, or the plants bolt almost as soon as they are up.
Pulling bolted plants too soon. Let a few set seed: the dry fruits are coriander seed for the kitchen.
Using a small pot. A pot at least 25 cm wide gives the taproot room and keeps moisture steady.

Extra notes

Good to know

Dubai garden-centre guidance puts the bolting trigger at about 30°C; the city's average daily maximum is 29°C in March and 34°C in April.
A seed supplier's guide says the clearest bolting signal is the change from rounded leaves to feathery foliage.
The Ministry's planting calendar lists coriander for field sowing in October and November, with harvest after 50 to 60 days.
Coriander was named, with basil, mint, parsley and thyme, among the aromatic plants the Ministry said residents could grow at home under Plant the Emirates in October 2024.

Toxicity: Not known to be toxic; a normal culinary herb.

Pros

Leaves ready in about 30–60 days from sowing (seed guide; UAE Ministry calendar)
Three crops in one: fresh leaf, flowers and dry coriander seed from bolted plants
Sow little and often every two to three weeks for steady winter supply
Suits a 25 cm pot on a balcony as well as a bed edge

Cons

Bolts once the weather passes about 30°C, so the crop ends by about April
Transplants poorly; sow direct where it will grow (seed supplier's guide)
Short, strict window: October to February only, per Dubai garden-centre guidance
Aphids and leaf miner attack tender leaves (seed supplier's guide)

FAQ

Common questions

When should I sow coriander in Dubai?

From October to February. The Ministry's calendar gives field sowing in October and November, and a Dubai garden centre gives October to February only, stopping by February.

Why does my coriander flower so quickly?

Heat. Dubai garden-centre guidance says it bolts once temperatures rise above about 30°C. Sow little and often, provide afternoon shade as March warms and accept that the crop ends by about April.

Can I transplant coriander seedlings?

It is best not to. A seed supplier's guide says coriander transplants poorly once the roots are established, so sow directly into the final pot or bed.

How often should I sow?

Every two to three weeks through the cool season, from October to February, for a steady supply of leaf.

Can I use the seeds?

Yes. Let a few plants bolt, and harvest when the round green fruits dry to tan-brown. Store the dried coriander seed airtight, away from heat and light.

How big a pot do I need?

At least 25 cm across, which gives the taproot room and keeps moisture even.

Not sure how it suits your garden?

Ask about Coriander on WhatsApp

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-05 by Ghaf Gardens horticulture desk.

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