Plants
Tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus · Asteraceae
Tarragon is the finest seasoning herb of French cuisine: without it there would be no sauce béarnaise and no fines herbes. Its sweet, aniseed-like aroma is unmistakable — provided you get the right tarragon. We buy our herb pots in nursery quality at the Veiling Rhein-Maas and make a point of stocking true French tarragon.
- Light
- Sunny to lightly part-shaded at most.
- Watering
- Regular — evenly moist, but never standing in water.
- Care level
- Medium
- Botanical
- Artemisia dracunculus
With tarragon, provenance decides the flavour: French tarragon is the aromatic selection, flowers sterile and is propagated only by cuttings or division. Russian tarragon can be raised from seed and is far tougher — but tastes harsh and almost bitter. If you buy seed, you almost always get the Russian type.
Unlike most Mediterranean herbs, tarragon dislikes a lean, dry position: it hails from steppe and riverbank habitats and wants nutrient-rich, evenly moist yet free-draining soil in full sun. In a pot that means a generously sized container and regular watering.
The young shoot tips are harvested continuously from May into autumn. The aroma is volatile — add tarragon only towards the end of cooking, and preserve it by freezing or steeping in vinegar rather than drying; dried, it loses most of its character.
Classic uses are sauce béarnaise, tarragon vinegar, mustard, poultry and fish dishes, and the French chicken in tarragon cream. One or two sprigs are usually enough — the herb seasons more strongly than its delicate foliage suggests.
French tarragon is moderately hardy: in the bed a mulch layer helps, in a pot it overwinters more safely cool and frost-free. In autumn the perennial dies back completely and reshoots from the rootstock in April — so a bare pot in winter is no cause for alarm.
Is Tarragon toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Mildly irritating
- Dogs
- Mildly irritating
As a seasoning in food, tarragon is harmless to people. In cats and dogs the essential oils (including estragole) can irritate the digestive tract in larger amounts — so do not let pets graze on the plant.
Typical symptoms: In pets after larger amounts: drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea.
In an emergency:call the German poison control centre in Bonn on +49 228 19240 (24/7) — for pets, contact an emergency vet directly. This information does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01A sunny, warm spot sheltered from wind.
- 02Keep evenly moist — tarragon is no drought artist like thyme.
- 03Use nutrient-rich, free-draining soil and feed occasionally in summer.
- 04Harvest the shoot tips regularly to encourage bushy regrowth.
- 05Cut back close to the ground in autumn; the perennial reshoots in spring.
- 06Overwinter pots frost-free or well protected; divide and rejuvenate every three years.
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between French and Russian tarragon?
- French tarragon has the fine, sweet aniseed aroma, flowers sterile and is propagated only vegetatively. Russian tarragon grows more vigorously, is hardier and can be raised from seed, but tastes harsh and bitter. For the kitchen the French type is almost always worth it — recognisable by the fact that it is sold only as a plant, never as seed.
- Is tarragon toxic to cats or dogs?
- Harmless in seasoning amounts, but not ideal as a nibbling plant: in larger quantities the essential oils can cause vomiting or diarrhoea in cats and dogs. Keep the pot out of reach. For children the culinary herb is safe.
- Why is my tarragon not reshooting in spring?
- Usually the rootstock has frozen or sat too wet over winter. French tarragon is only moderately hardy — in a pot it needs a frost-free, rather dry winter spot. Patience helps too: new shoots often appear only in April, noticeably later than other herbs.
- Can you dry tarragon?
- Possible, but not recommended — most of the delicate aroma evaporates during drying. Better to freeze the sprigs in portions or steep them classically in white wine vinegar; tarragon vinegar preserves the flavour for months.