How to Grow Tarragon
Tarragon At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -25°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Buy a French tarragon plant from a garden centre, since this is the kind with the real flavour and it does not grow from seed. Plant it out about 2 weeks after your last frost, 45 cm apart, in full sun and soil that drains fast.
Seed sold as tarragon is almost always Russian tarragon, which is tougher but has very little flavour. French tarragon, with its sweet, licorice-like taste, makes no good seed, so it is always grown from a plant, a cutting or a division.
When To Start
Tarragon needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Tarragon?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Tarragon Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Tarragon Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant your French tarragon out in full sun
2 weeks after your last frost
Trim tarragon by a third to keep it bushy
60 days after your last frost· every year
Divide your tarragon clump every 3 years, in early spring
1 week before your last frost· every year· optional
Water your new tarragon plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
How is your tarragon settling in? Let the soil dry a little between waterings, it dislikes wet roots.
About 30 days after you plant it
Checking in on your tarragon. Snip a few sprigs to help it grow bushier.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Tarragon's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Grow tarragon in full sun, or in light afternoon shade where summers are hot.
- 2Plant it in soil that drains fast, with only a little compost, since rich, wet soil weakens the flavour and rots the roots.
- 3Water when the top few cm of soil is dry, and less in fall.
- 4Trim the stems back by a third in midsummer to keep the plant bushy.
- 5In late fall, cut it down to about 5 cm and cover it with a thick layer of leaves for winter, and divide it every 3 years to keep the flavour strong.
- 6Tarragon can upset a cat's or dog's stomach, so keep pets from chewing it.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
60 cm
Mature Height
45 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Snip sprigs anytime through the season; flavour is best before it flowers
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking sprigs once the plant is about 20 cm tall, and the flavour is best before it flowers.
- 2Cut whole stems from the top, taking no more than a third of the plant at once.
- 3Use tarragon fresh, since it loses most of its flavour when dried.
- 4To keep it, freeze the leaves, or put a few sprigs in a bottle of white vinegar for 2 weeks to make tarragon vinegar.
- 5Keep fresh sprigs wrapped in a damp paper towel in the fridge for a few days.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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