How to grow Tarragon

Where to plant

Grow French tarragon in full sun in warm, dry, well-aerated soil. It does not tolerate wet or saturated soil, especially in winter, and prefers low to moderate fertility with a near-neutral pH. A raised bed or a slope helps where soil is heavy.

It is winter hardy to about zone 4, dying back to the ground each winter. In cold areas a light winter mulch protects the crown. In hot, humid regions it often dies out in summer.

• Northeast, Midwest, Mountain West, Northern Plains, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska: plant in spring; it returns each year. Mulch lightly over winter in the coldest areas.
• Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South and Southern Plains: plant in spring or early fall in a well-drained spot with afternoon shade.
• California and the Desert Southwest: plant in late winter to spring or fall; give it afternoon shade inland and in the desert.
• Florida, the Gulf South and Texas: French tarragon dislikes the heat and humidity. Grow it in a pot in light shade through the cooler months, or grow Mexican tarragon, which UF/IFAS recommends for Florida.
• Hawaii: try it in a pot at cooler elevations.

Choosing a variety

• French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa) has the true flavor. Buy plants from a reputable nursery, crush a leaf, and check for a strong anise scent that numbs the tongue slightly.
• Russian tarragon is grown from seed and is hardy and vigorous, but its flavor is vastly inferior.
• Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida), also called mint marigold, is a heat- and humidity-tolerant perennial for the South with similar flavor and golden-yellow fall flowers.

How to plant

1. Plant nursery plants, rooted cuttings or divisions at the same depth they grew.
2. Space them about 12 to 18 inches apart in light, well-drained soil without rich compost or manure.
3. Water in, then water only when the top of the soil has dried.
4. Pinch the tips occasionally to keep plants bushy.

Watering and feeding

Water sparingly once established, letting the soil dry between waterings. Wet soil causes root rot.

Feed little, if at all. Rich soil gives soft growth with less flavor.

Pruning and care through the year

• Cut stems back in fall as the plant dies down.
• Divide clumps in spring every few years, as new shoots appear, to keep them vigorous; tarragon tends to decline after a few years if left alone.
• Remove flower stems to keep leaves coming.

Harvesting

Snip sprigs of tender upper growth as needed through the season, taking no more than a third of the plant at a time. For storage, cut the plant back by about half in midsummer or harvest it at the end of the season. Tarragon loses much of its flavor when dried; freezing leaves or steeping them in vinegar keeps the flavor better.

Growing in pots

French tarragon grows well in a pot at least 10 inches wide with a free-draining mix. In the South, a pot lets you move it into shade in summer; in the North, sink the pot in the ground or store it in an unheated garage over winter.

Using it

Use tarragon with chicken, fish and eggs, in béarnaise sauce, and to make tarragon vinegar. Add it near the end of cooking, as long cooking dulls the flavor.

Propagation and saving seed

French tarragon does not produce viable seed, so propagate it by division in spring as new shoots break ground, or by 6 to 8 inch stem cuttings rooted in moist sand, which take about four weeks to root.