Mexican Tarragon Certified Organic Annual Tarragon Herbs Seeds - West Coast Seeds

PRODUCT DETAILS

CERTIFIED ORGANIC! Tagetes lucida. AKA Winter Tarragon. This cousin of the marigold is a heat loving plant that may survive as a perennial in Zone 8, but it’s just as well treated as a half-hardy annual. Start Mexican Tarragon seeds indoors and transplant the seedlings out in May. The toothed, strap-like leaves have a pleasant anise scent, and the petite yellow flowers are edible. Try adding some leaves to a salad mix, or chop some and add it to tuna salad, potato salad, or pasta. The flavour balances beautifully with black pepper, lemon, and pear. We became fans of this herb during our field trials, where it grew with enthusiasm. (1185 s/g)

• AKA Winter Tarragon
• Scent like anise
• Grows with vigour

All About Mexican Tarragon Certified Organic

Latin

Tagetes lucida
Family: Asteraceae

Difficulty

Easy

Season & Zone

Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Timing

Sow indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow 2 weeks after last frost. If starting indoors, just cover the seeds with vermiculite and provide a soil temperature of 21-25°C (70-75°F). Seeds should sprout in 4-14 days at that temperature.

Starting

The seedlings are somewhat prone to damping off. As a precaution, just cover the small seeds with vermiculite, water from below, and provide ventilation in the room. Space plants in the garden 30-45cm (12-18″) apart.

Growing

Pinch the growing tips to encourage branching. Edible flowers are borne in abundance once the summer heats up. This fast growing herb requires little care, but it does appreciate good drainage.

Harvest

Pick leaves and flowers to steep as tea or as a substitute for traditional tarragon at any time during the summer. A yellow dye can be created from the flowers of this plant. The dried plant was traditionally burned to repel insects.