Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa (FRENCH TARRAGON)

French Tarragon Asteraceae

If one Artemisia was going to abandon the world of bitter medicinal herbs and become a kitchen celebrity, this would be it. French Tarragon is the prized culinary form of Artemisia dracunculus, grown for its slender, glossy green leaves and wonderfully distinctive aroma of aniseed, liquorice and a hint of pepper. Unlike the rather coarser Russian Tarragon, it has the superior, concentrated flavour that makes it indispensable to classic French cooking.

Give it a warm, sunny and sheltered position in well-drained soil, preferably on the light side. It positively resents winter wet, so heavy clay should be improved with grit or, better still, grow it in a raised bed or container. Regular picking encourages fresh, leafy growth, with the young shoots at their most tender in spring and early summer. Use generously with chicken, fish, eggs, mushrooms and salads, or infuse into vinegar and butter. It is, of course, essential to a proper Béarnaise sauce.

French Tarragon is generally propagated vegetatively because it rarely produces viable seed, so plants sold as seed-grown “tarragon” are usually something rather less gastronomically distinguished.

Height: 50–80cm
Spread: 30–45cm
Flowering: Rarely flowers significantly
Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C)

Simple Tarragon Butter: Finely chop a handful of fresh leaves and mix with softened butter, a little lemon zest and sea salt. Roll into a log, chill and slice onto grilled fish, chicken, new potatoes or vegetables. A suspiciously easy way to make dinner taste considerably more sophisticated.