I bought it at a nursery and planted it in a pot about a month ago. We're in a heat wave right now. Do you think that's why it bolted?
What do I do with it now? Do I just leave it alone? Will it come back with good cilantro next year? Or do I pull it out?
I'm such a novice.

Here is an old cilantro thread, where this problem is discussed. As I noted there, I have given up on growing it outside, as mine always bolts.

Dave

This third heat wave is doing bad things to my garden, too. But cilantro is best in our area when planted from seed in the fall, maybe October or November, or when it cools down. It's another one of those plants that don't like hot weather at all. My cilantro finished a couple of months ago, and now the flowers are becoming seeds.

Let it bolt, if you have room. The flowers will attract pollinators, and the seeds can be scattered around to come up next fall. Or you can use the seeds as coriander.

Don't pull it out! Let the seed dry in place, then harvest it. You can grind the seed in small quantities as needed in a small coffee grinder (I have one for this type of thing, even though I don't usually grind coffee). Presto -- fresh ground coriander, just as Jenniferch suggested.

(Mine bolted early last year, too -- can you tell? I used the fresh ground seed in some Thai chicken noodle soup. Yum!)

cilantro is my most bolty plant.

It doesn't need heat to bolt, water stress, will do it. Also long day light will do it (I have lots of daylight).

If I actually want a good cilantro crop I have to plant it every week or two and harvest the sucker when it is still tiny.

Cilantro grows so readily from seed, I always just plant the seeds. I get a really thick crop and harvest as much as I think I can use before it begins to get leggy. I have cut down the flower stalks a few times prior to bolting, but that only gives me an extra few days. I always let some flower and go to seed and I have several little volunteers up this year.

Cilantro is an annual, so after the seeds have formed the plant dies, and then you can harvest or scatter the seeds and pull the plant out.

There are lots of herbs that want warm summer weather. Sweet basil, rosemary (will last for years), parsley, marjoram, oregano, sage.