Coriander Plants

• Variety: Coriander (Calypso)
• Latin name: Coriandrum sativum 'Calypso'
• Type: Annual
• Height: Up to 70cm (28in)
• Hardiness: Frost-tender (H1c)
• Good for: Asian cooking, curries, chutneys, Mexican dishes, fresh salsas
• Container: Not ideal: bolts faster in pots
• RHS AGM: Yes (2014, H2)
• Sold as: Pot-grown plants (P9), hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: May–August
• Collection: Herbs

Coriander has the highest bolting-to-harvest ratio of any herb in the kitchen garden. Calypso changes that: an RHS AGM variety bred specifically to resist bolting, giving weeks more usable leaf than an unselected plant.

Coriander Calypso – The One That Actually Works

The name coriander is said to derive from koris, the Greek for 'bedbug', because the unripe plant smells strongly of the insect. Seeds have been found in tombs from the 21st Egyptian Dynasty (1085–945 BC). The Chinese once believed it bestowed immortality. In the Middle Ages it went into love potions. Given all that, it's a little anticlimactic that coriander's main reputation in British gardens is for bolting in June and being useless by July.

Calypso was bred specifically to resist that tendency. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit from 2014 (H2 hardiness rating) and was selected for slow bolting, putting energy into leaves rather than rushing to flower the moment the temperature rises. In a sheltered, sunny spot with reasonable moisture, Calypso gives you several weeks of steady harvest where a standard variety would be spinning up a flower stem by week three. Harvest little and often from the top, never stripping the plant, and it keeps going. Plant it outside from mid-May onward in full sun and well-drained soil; it resents cold nights and waterlogged roots.

Planting Companions

In the vegetable garden, coriander grows well alongside dill and basil. Keep it away from fennel. For the full kitchen herb range, see all our herb plants.

From Our Nursery. Not a Factory.

Our coriander is hand-sown from named Calypso seed by our team, grown without neonicotinoids, and arrives in recycled pots. We guarantee every plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does coriander bolt so quickly?

Bolting is triggered by heat, drought, and root disturbance. The plant reads stress as a signal to complete its reproductive cycle. Calypso is bred to resist this and typically gives several more weeks of leaf production in comparable conditions than unselected varieties.

Is Calypso better than other coriander varieties?

For leaf production in British conditions, yes. It holds the RHS AGM specifically for garden performance and bolts more slowly than standard varieties. If you want coriander seeds for cooking, any variety does the job; if you want leaves through the season, Calypso is the right choice.

Can I grow coriander in a pot?

Not ideal. Containers heat up and dry out quickly, exactly what triggers bolting. Coriander in a pot tends to bolt faster than in open ground. If you must use a pot, go large (30cm+), water frequently, and keep it out of direct midday sun.

How do I harvest coriander to get more leaves?

Snip individual stems from the top rather than stripping from the base. Never take more than a third of the plant at once. Harvest before any flower stems appear; once the bolt starts, leaf quality drops off quickly and the flavour changes.

Does coriander come back every year?

No. It's an annual: one season and done. It may self-seed if you let it flower, but the seedlings aren't reliable for bolt resistance: Calypso's characteristic doesn't come true from saved seed. Replace each season.