415 · French Tarragon
Herb · Culinary · Perennial · Heirloom
About this plant
A perennial culinary herb with a distinct anise-like flavor that forms clumps of narrow, glossy green leaves on upright stems, thrives in poor soil and is low-maintenance once established. Plants from seed sold as "French" are often the Russian type (same species, coarser and milder).
Planting it at home
- When to plant out
- Right away. Our low-desert planting window for cool-season plants ends about mid-February.
- Where
- Containers, Garden beds
- Spacing
- 12-24" (from the packet)
- Size
- 18–24"
Care
- Sun
- Full sun (from the packet); afternoon shade in our summer
- Water
- Moderate; let topsoil dry — rots in wet soil
- Feed
- Light feeding only; too much fertilizer weakens the flavor (general guide).
Good to know
- Grown from
- Seed — sown by FHCG volunteers
- Uses
- Chicken, fish, béarnaise, vinegar
- Harvest
- Snip sprigs
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Heirloom or hybrid
- Heirloom — saved seeds grow true
- Heat (our summer)
- Low — dislikes our summer heat
Seed for our 2027 plants: botanicalinterests.com · Learn more: UA Extension, Maricopa Master Gardeners · Growing In The Garden (Mesa AZ)