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Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa'

French Tarragon

An anise-flavored culinary herb for sauces, eggs and dressings; useful in a sunny, well-drained kitchen garden.

Grows in Zones 4–8Growing guide
French Tarragon growing or ready to harvestPhoto: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0

Set your expectations

How long until you can harvest?

Light harvest about 6–8 weeks after planting a rooted division or nursery start
Cold-weather notePlant during mild weather and protect container roots from severe cold.
Start withA named French tarragon nursery plant or rooted division
Life cycleHerbaceous perennial
DifficultyEasy to moderate

Your seasonal plan

When to grow french tarragon in Zone 6.

Adjust these windows to your local frost dates and harvest only while the plant is growing actively. These are useful planning windows, not exact weather guarantees.

Typical planting windowApril–May
Typical harvest windowJune–September

Growing essentials

What french tarragon need to thrive.

Use the practical details below with your Zone 6 timeline. Current weather and the variety you choose can shift timing.

LightFull sun; afternoon shade in hot locations
SoilLight, well-drained soil; avoid heavy wet clay
Planting depthSet a rooted plant at its original soil depth.
Spacing18–24 inches apart
WaterWater when the surface begins to dry; avoid saturated soil.
Best conditionsMatch planting to local frost dates; mature hardiness and summer heat tolerance vary.

How to plant

Plant it well.

Buy a named French tarragon plant or division. True French tarragon is propagated from plants rather than seed; seed sold as tarragon is usually another type.

Indoors or containers

A container can be moved for shelter, but this perennial needs seasonal rest and is not an effortless year-round windowsill crop.

Keep it growing

Care through the season.

  • Trim green shoots regularly and divide older clumps when growth weakens.
What to avoid

Buying seed expecting French tarragon, or keeping roots wet through winter.

Ready to harvest

Know the cue, not just the date.

  • Snip tender leafy shoots while plants grow actively; use fresh or freeze for later cooking.

How we know

Sources and growing guidance.

The growing essentials and seasonal planning windows are original summaries informed by university Extension references; always adjust for current local weather and variety instructions.

French Tarragon: plant profile and cultivationNorth Carolina State ExtensionGrowing herbs in home gardensUniversity of Minnesota Extension

Extension sources checked · November 2026. Seasonal windows are planning estimates.