coriander (cilantro) · Asked on Facebook · 5 November 2026
What is this leafy herb I picked from my garden for cooking?
This looks like coriander (also called cilantro), a common leafy herb used fresh in cooking. Rub a leaf and smell it—if it has a strong, lemony-spicy aroma, it’s safe to use as coriander greens.
The question
“Does anyone know what plant this is? I just picked it fresh from my garden to use in my cooking!”
What's likely going on
From the photo, the plant has soft, bright-green, divided leaves on thin, tender stems, growing in a dense patch. This matches coriander (cilantro) rather than celery or parsley, which usually have thicker, more rigid stems or differently shaped leaves.
Because plant identification from a single photo can be tricky, it’s always good to double‑check with smell and taste before cooking a large amount.
What to do
Do the smell test
Gently rub a leaf between your fingers and sniff. Coriander has a strong, unmistakable aroma—fresh, citrusy, slightly spicy. If it smells like that, it’s very likely coriander.Check the leaf shape up close
Coriander leaves are flat and lacy, with rounded, shallow teeth on the edges. Curly parsley will look tightly curled; flat parsley usually has broader, more triangular segments.Look at the stems and roots
Coriander stems are soft and juicy, not fibrous like celery. The small white roots (if intact) are also edible and aromatic.Taste a tiny piece
If it passes the smell test, nibble a small leaf. Coriander should taste bright and slightly peppery, not bitter or soapy (unless you’re one of the people genetically sensitive to it).If anything seems off, don’t eat it
When in doubt—unusual smell, bitterness, or you’re not confident in the ID—compost it and re‑grow from known seed.
How to prevent it
- Label beds or pots when sowing herb seeds so you always know what’s what.
- Grow one type of similar-looking herb per container to avoid confusion (for example, keep parsley and coriander separate).
- Let a few plants flower once so you learn their full life cycle; coriander flowers are small and white in umbrella-like clusters.
When to worry
- If anyone feels unwell after eating an unknown plant (nausea, vomiting, dizziness), seek medical help immediately and take a sample of the plant along.
- If you’re still not sure it’s coriander after smell and taste tests, it’s safer not to use it in food and instead start fresh from clearly labeled herb seeds.
Answered by the GrowPls assistant. Every plant and room is different; if things don't improve, a clear close-up photo of the affected part is the fastest way to a better answer.
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