Persicaria odorata
Vietnamese coriander
Common names: Rau Ram, Vietnam coriander
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 20 cm, rows 30 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 5 °C
- Water need
- High
Photo: Joditran · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Vietnamese coriander (Persicaria odorata) brings a coriander‑like aroma to the balcony without the transplant stress of true coriander. The perennial herb prefers a warm, partially shaded spot and rewards you with lush green, pointed leaves that can be harvested continuously. In Vietnam the plant is a staple in many soups and salads and is valued there for its intense aroma. Because it originates from tropical regions, it does not tolerate frost and requires a protected spot or an indoor winter quarters in our climate. Propagation is easiest via cuttings, as the plant rarely flowers here.
Care instructions
Keep the soil evenly moist; Vietnamese coriander prefers noticeably wetter conditions than classic kitchen herbs and can even tolerate a pot with a saucer full of water. Choose a warm, bright location without harsh midday sun; ideally a partially shaded spot on the balcony or in a container. From mid‑September (week 38) bring the plant indoors, as even light frost permanently damages it. Indoors on the windowsill it overwinter best at room temperature and moderate moisture. Regularly trim the shoot tips to keep the plant bushy and provide fresh harvest for the kitchen.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 18 °C, ideally 25 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 28 days
- Light
- Sprouts in light or dark
- Sowing depth
- 0.5 cm
- How to start
- Start indoors, then plant out
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich
Vietnamese coriander likes it moist and nutrient-rich, best in humus-rich, free-draining soil. It tolerates waterlogging for a short time better than drought, since its home is the marshy and bankside zones of South-East Asia. A spot with evenly moist soil, for example at the edge of a raised bed or in a container with a saucer, suits it well.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
May–Aug
Mature compost at planting and a dose of diluted nettle feed every few weeks in summer are enough for strong leaf growth. Since you harvest continuously, the plant appreciates regular but sparing top-ups rather than a single large dose. In a pot the nutrient supply is used up faster than in a bed; there, an extra dose of compost in midsummer is worthwhile.
Overwintering
Vietnamese coriander is frost-tender and does not survive German winters outdoors. Bring the plant indoors in a container in good time before the first frost and put it somewhere bright and moderately warm, for example on the windowsill. Water more sparingly in winter, but the root ball should not dry out completely.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Division
- From seed
The most reliable propagation is from cuttings: a shoot a few centimetres long in a glass of water or straight into moist soil, and new roots show after just a few weeks. Dividing older, bushy plants in spring also works well and gives you several strong young plants at once. Sowing is possible, but much slower and less reliable, as germination is irregular. For quick propagation on the kitchen windowsill, cuttings are therefore the most practical choice.
For your garden
Grow Vietnamese coriander yourself
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