Santo Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum ‘Santo’) is a premium slow-bolting cilantro variety prized for its abundant aromatic foliage, excellent flavour, and extended harvest season. Selected for its improved resistance to premature flowering, Santo produces lush green leaves longer than many traditional cilantro varieties, making it an excellent choice for gardeners who enjoy continuous harvests of fresh herbs throughout the growing season. The bright, fragrant leaves are essential in salsa, tacos, guacamole, curries, stir-fries, soups, salads, marinades, and countless Latin American, Asian, and Middle Eastern dishes. If allowed to flower, Santo develops delicate white to pale pink blooms that attract bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other beneficial pollinators. These flowers mature into the familiar coriander seeds, which can be harvested and used whole or ground in baking, spice blends, pickling, curries, and roasted vegetable dishes. Santo Cilantro grows quickly in cool weather and performs best during spring and early fall. Succession planting every few weeks provides a continuous supply of fresh leaves throughout the growing season. Its compact growth habit makes it an excellent choice for herb gardens, raised beds, decorative containers, kitchen gardens, and edible landscapes. In Alberta, Santo Cilantro thrives during the cooler months of the growing season and provides abundant harvests of both fresh leaves and coriander seeds.
