Tarragon
French tarragon, the culinary variety prized for its aniseed flavour, doesn't set viable seed and has to be grown from cuttings or divisions rather than seed. Seed packets sold as tarragon are usually Russian tarragon, a coarser, much less flavourful relative, so buying an established plant is the safer route. A herbaceous perennial that dies back over winter and regrows from the base each spring.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 45cm
- Harvest
- Ready in 60-90 days
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Expected yield
- Continuous sprigs through the growing season once established
- Cost to grow
- ~$10 NZD
- Grocery value
- ~$25 NZD
- Evergreen
- No, deciduous
- Companion plants
- Most vegetables
- Common diseases
- Root rot in wet soil
- Common pests
- Aphids
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: September-October. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: October.
Growing stages
PlantingSpring, from a cutting or division
- Buy an established plant rather than seed, since seed-grown tarragon is almost always the weaker-flavoured Russian type, not true French tarragon
- Plant in free-draining soil in full sun, as wet soil around the roots leads to rot
- Space plants around 45cm apart to allow for their spreading clumps
Establishment
- Water regularly until the plant is established, even though it needs only moderate water once settled
- Watch for aphids on soft new spring growth
- New growth emerges from the base in spring after the plant dies back over winter
Ongoing harvest60-90 days to first proper picking, then continuous through the growing season
- Pick sprigs regularly through the growing season; regular picking encourages bushier growth
- Poor drainage is the main long-term risk, particularly over winter
- Divide congested clumps every few years in spring to keep plants vigorous
Dieback & dormancy
- Foliage dies back to the ground with the onset of colder weather each winter
- This is normal dormancy, not a sign the plant has died, new growth returns in spring
- Cut back dead top growth and mulch over winter in colder regions