1. Guides
  2. Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque
  3. Tarragon

Tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus

Summary 7

Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon) is a commonly-used perennial herb in the sunflower family. It grows wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is utilized for culinary and medicinal purposes.

Botanical Information 8

Artemisia dracunculus, commonly called wild tarragon, is a member of the sunflower family that can be identified by its linear and fragrant leaves that grow from reddish stems. It grows from 1.5 to 3 feet in height and spreads 1 to 1.5 feet wide. Tarragon has small yellowish-white flowers that bloom in clusters at the tip of the stem from July to August.

Ecological Information 9

Originally thought to be native to Siberia, tarragon now grows wild throughout Eurasia and North America and is cultivated as a culinary herb. The wild variety, A. dracunculus L., is slightly weaker in flavor than the cultivated variety commonly known as French tarragon. This plant grows best in sandy, well-drained alkaline soils in full sun. The root will easily rot in wet soil, especially if it is poorly drained. Tarragon plants will slowly spread by creeping and can be easily propagated from root divisions.

Ethnobotanical Information 9

This plant has been used as food and as medicine. Along with other species in the genus Artemisia, tarragon has been used medicinally to stimulate the digestive system and uterus, lower fevers, and destroy intestinal worms. According to ethnobotancial reports, Pauite tribes used a hot poultice of the plant applied to sprains, swellings, and rheumatism. Chippewa people also reported mild emmenagogue properties and was used to induce a delayed period. (Note: Such reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.) Tarragon is not often used in modern herbalism, but more commonly as a culinary herb. Tarragon is one of the four main herbs used in France especially for chicken, fish and egg dishes. Tarragon is the main flavoring ingredient for soy sauce. It is also used to season a popular soft drink called "Tarkhuna" in Armenia, Georgia and, in turn, Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. The drink is made from sugary tequila concentrates and is bright green in color.

References 10

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation. (2020, December 12). Tarragon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarragon

Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2020, February 28). Tarragon. https://www.britannica.com/plant/tarragon

USDA, Natural Resouces Conservation Service. (2006, May 30). Plant Guide, Tarragon. https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_ardr4.pdf

Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 55). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service. (2009). Horticulture Update, The Three Tarragons. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2009/jan09/Tarragon.html

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2020, December 11). Asteraceae, Artemesia dracunculus L.. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/5159/

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2020, December 11). Asteraceae, Artemesia dracunculus L.. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/5108/

About the Author 11

Student author(s)*: Zachary (age 17) from Menaul school

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7903366648/
  2. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7903367442/
  3. (c) zacharyqiu, all rights reserved, uploaded by zacharyqiu
  4. (c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/plant_diversity/5021063648/
  5. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7301562670/
  6. (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/7903366100/
  7. Adapted by caseynm from a work by (c) zacharyqiu, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  8. (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  9. Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  10. Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
  11. Adapted by smiller33 from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Flower white, yellow
Uses edible, medicinal
Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers