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French tarragon illustration
Herbs · Perennial

French tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa'

Slender stems carry narrow, smooth leaves with an anise-like aroma.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Choose a named plant

Start with a French tarragon plant or a division of a known plant.

02

Avoid soggy roots

Use freely draining soil and avoid overwatering.

03

Refresh older clumps

Divide established plants in spring every few years.

Care guide · RHSSource checked 20 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
6+ hours of sunSource-backed
Moisture
Dry to moderately moistSource interpretation
Soil pH
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Drainage
Free-drainingSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Plant spacing
≈ 30 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 25 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 75 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
warm-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Full sun is preferred; 6+ hours is a category, not an upper tolerance limit.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Moisture

Qualitative watering guidance is mapped to this interval for active growth; it is not a watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil pH

No precise preferred numeric interval verified; the unused placeholder is excluded from display and scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Drainage

Free drainage or avoiding waterlogging is recommended; the ordinal interval is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil texture

No specific soil textures verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Plant spacing

Simplified square planning allowance; variety, row layout and growing method change the space needed.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing depth

Approximate planning allowance, not a verified root depth; cultivar and growing method change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Typical height

Approximate planning height; cultivar, pruning and growth stage change the result.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing season

Broad growth category, not a local planting calendar; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20