Tarragon: varieties, growing and uses
With tarragon, it pays to smell the leaves before buying. French and Russian tarragon may seem similar, but they are not equivalent flavour choices. A French plant in a movable pot offers a little luxury for anyone who enjoys cooking eggs or sauces.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Use
- French tarragon is peppery with a liquorice-like note. Russian tarragon is usually less refined and weaker in aroma.
- Care
- Sunny, warm and well drained. Protect French tarragon in particular from winter cold combined with persistently wet soil.
- Harvest and flowering
- Take young tips or leaves during active growth. Let a new plant establish first and spread the harvest across the plant.
Discover varieties and growth habits
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
French tarragon
Artemisia dracunculus French: the distinctive kitchen choice.
Use: Peppery with a hint of liquorice.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my garden
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Russian tarragon
A more vigorous, coarser grower from seed.
Use: Usually less pronounced; taste before choosing.
Flavour of the species; a separate flavour profile for this variety has not yet been confirmed.View growing and harvesting →Place in my gardenChoose your way to grow
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
French tarragon in a movable pot
With tarragon, it pays to smell the leaves before buying. French and Russian tarragon may seem similar, but they are not equivalent flavour choices. A French plant in a movable pot offers a little luxury for anyone who enjoys cooking eggs or sauces.
- Buy a fragrant French tarragon plant with reliable identity.
- Plant in free-draining compost and position in sun and shelter.
- Cut a few young tips once the plant has established.
- During a wet, cold winter, move to a light, protected position and check the rootball.
For an identifiable harvesting spot with enough room for this growth habit.
Dividing an existing clump
Buy French tarragon as a plant or divide or root cuttings from reliable stock. Seed sold as tarragon usually gives Russian forms. Propagation therefore matters when buying. Label form and origin to repeat your choice later.
- Take a rooted division of a healthy tarragon clump in a suitable period.
- Keep the French or Russian tarragon label with the new plant.
- Plant in a light, well-drained position and keep moist until new growth appears.
- Harvest little initially and assess scent and growth before taking more leaves.
For a second growing position where you can compare shape, scent or harvesting rhythm.
How to create your own herb-growing space
These are deliberately two genuine choices, not many names promising identical things. Grow alongside to learn differences. Tear leaves to compare fragrance, then cook identical small portions with each. Results reveal preference better than generic tarragon labels.
Choose a suitable growing position
Buy French tarragon as a plant or divide or root cuttings from reliable stock. Seed sold as tarragon usually gives Russian forms. Propagation therefore matters when buying. Label form and origin to repeat your choice later.
From plant to kitchen
Pots help move the French form under light shelter in wet winters. The aim is drainage and protection, not a warm dark living room. Check root balls occasionally there too. Use short fresh tips to avoid tough stems among soft ingredients.
Scent, flavour and use
French tarragon is peppery with a liquorice-like note. Russian tarragon is usually less refined and weaker in aroma.
Care, cutting and harvesting
Sunny, warm and well drained. Protect French tarragon in particular from winter cold combined with persistently wet soil.
Harvest tips lightly and regularly. Clear dead top growth when it is actually dead; no fixed calendar without checking the plant.
Take young tips or leaves during active growth. Let a new plant establish first and spread the harvest across the plant.
Cutting, caring and following the season
Harvest tips lightly and regularly. Clear dead top growth when it is actually dead; no fixed calendar without checking the plant.
Species information and annual cycle
- Space
- Recommended spacing is missing. Check the plant label or seed packet; unknown space does not count as free space.
- Soil
- No pH range supported by sources is included. Test your soil and follow species and variety guidance.
- Season
- An indicative growth estimate is included; actual development still needs checking.
- Care
- Guide advice is available; the automatic species task matrix is not yet complete. Check the plant regularly and plan a task yourself if needed.
What you need
Tick what you already have. The extras depend on how you grow.
0 of 6 ticked off
Your ticks are saved in this browser.
Make it your garden
Save your favourite variety or add it to My garden. Your own observations determine the growth stage; care tasks are based on the species.
Add Tarragon to my gardenExplore more herbsSources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · checked on 13 October 2026. Flavour descriptions come from the listed sources; ripeness and growing conditions affect flavour. AI images illustrate described characteristics and do not prove cultivar identity.
- World Checklist of Vascular Plants — 4 juni 2026Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew · 2026-10-07
- Herbs – Real Life, Good FoodUniversity of Minnesota Extension · 2026-10-13
- Growing herbs in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension · 2026-10-13
- How to grow tarragonRoyal Horticultural Society · 2026-10-13