Herb Tarragon Artemisia dracunculus 'French'

Tarragon

French Tarragon deserves a place in the cook's garden; its heady flavor makes any dish special. French tarragon is an aromatic, clump-forming, shrubby perennial with upright, branched stems and lance-shaped, smooth, light to mid-green leaves that grow about 3” long. It reaches a height of 24” tall. It grows best in full sun and slightly dry soil. A few fresh leaves are harvested by snipping with scissors. Two large harvests can generally be taken in the second year. The first cutting is possible when the plant reaches 8-10” tall. Cut the entire plant about 2" above the ground. The name comes from the French esdragon, meaning "little dragon". Perhaps the dragon-like roots were seen as being able to strangle the plant if not divided often. Plants should be divided every 3-4 years to remain productive. French tarragon is grown for its distinctively flavored leaves. Its mint-anise taste is particularly suited to vinegar and fish. Go lightly when using French tarragon in cooking as the herb can easily overpower the other flavors and can be somewhat bitter. To use Tarragon in cooking, chop the leaves very fine to extract the flavor but handle the leaves carefully as they bruise easily. French tarragon has a few uses beyond the culinary; it is also used to stimulate the appetite and relieve toothache. Chew on a leaf and you will feel numbness in your tongue.

Height 24 Inches

Spread 18-24 Inches

Download Additional Information

	Fact Sheet What you need to know about French Tarragon.
	How To I have the herb now what?
	Bench Card Printable 5x7 displayable marketing bench card
	Herb Info Sheet

Characteristics & Attributes