French tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus
Also called Tarragon
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitOnly ever buy it as a plant. French tarragon does not come true from seed — anything sown is the Russian one, and that tastes of nothing.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- Water
- Every 5 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade
- Feed
- Every 60 days
- Humidity
- Low
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Eurasia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: mild vomiting and diarrhoea.
PeopleNothing recorded against it
Safe to eat: leaves.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Nothing comes up in spring while the neighbours have shot, and the crown is brown and squashy under a thumb at soil level — it drowned over winter rather than froze.Winter wet root rot · disorder
- The clump comes up thin and the shoots stay short in the third or fourth spring, with a bare woody ring in the middle — the rhizome needs lifting and dividing.Tired crown · disorder