French Tarragon

I've tried growing French Tarragon over the years, without success. Either the plants turned out to be NOT true French Tarragon, or the plants died!

I finally had success with a plant I purchased from Territorial Seed. They shipped it on time as promised. Although it looked as though it had died during the winter, it sprang up this spring as soon as the weather warmed. Today, I snipped the first leaves.

http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1515/1515

I got mine last spring from a local nursery that propagates a lot of herbs. I don't think I had ever really used it before but I've since learned it's a fantastic herb to cook with, particularly with chicken or as an accent to deviled eggs. Also straight up or with oil on salad and raw veggies.

I canned herbed red wine vinegars last fall as gifts and the tarragon was by far the favorite of the people I gave them too.

Mine is already bigger this spring than it was last year; it might be a monster by summer!

Mine died when the weather warmed up (got hot). I don't think it likes hot weather. Tried sowing it with little success and bought a plant that didn't make it either. I think you have to live in France! An alternative is Mexican/Texas Tarragon (Marigold) which likes the warm weather, has some flavor of tarragon but not as much as the French.

French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) rarely sets seeds, and when it does, they are usually sterile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarragon

I had some overwinter the previous year but I don't see it in my herb garden anymore. Coincidentally I just bought a pot of it at a nursery this morning and planted it. Now I'm looking for some pretty garden markers for my herbs.

GG - my Fr. Tarragon disappeared over the winter, too. But the name tag stayed put, and the plant reappeared a few weeks ago. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to have yours come up, too.

Maybe so. I was surprised to see it come back last spring! And I thought my French thyme was dead this year but I saw a tiny green leaf sprouting from one of the woody stems. Most of our figs seem to have made it through, too.