Artemisia dracunculus
tarragon
Family AsteraceaeAlso called estragon, French tarragon, Russian tarragon
About
Tarragon is a perennial herb widespread across Eurasia and North America; French tarragon is the aromatic culinary form, while Russian tarragon is hardier but far milder.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Listed by the ASPCA as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (essential oils); can cause mild vomiting and diarrhoea.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Propagation
- French tarragon by root division (flowers are sterile); Russian tarragon from seed.
- Mature size
- 120–150 cm tall.
Field notes
Morphology
Grows 120–150 cm tall with slender branches. Leaves are lance-shaped, glossy green, 2–8 cm long with smooth edges. Tiny heads 2–4 mm across hold up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets.
Distribution & habitat
Wild across much of Eurasia and North America.
Cultivation notes
French tarragon has sterile flowers, so it is propagated by root division rather than seed. Russian tarragon grows from seed, is vigorous and spreading, over 1 m tall, tolerates poor soil, drought and neglect, but its flavour is weak and fades with age.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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