Days to Maturity: 80 to 90
Though it's not the true tarragon, this delicious and attractive herb smells and tastes just as good (if not a bit better) and holds up well in warmer climates. The leaves are scented and flavored with a tarragon-like anise taste that is actually a bit stronger than French tarragon (Artemisia), which melts out quickly in the heat. If you've tried and failed to grow tarragon beforeor if you just love the look of this handsome shrubgive Mexican tarragon a go.
A member of the marigold family, Mexican tarragon is a small shrub hardy in zones 8-11 and grown as an annual everywhere else. It's a lovely plant, reaching about 2 feet high and 12 to 15 inches wide, with bright green foliage reaching 3 inches long. It blooms lightly in late spring, then heavily in early fall, the super-bright yellow ½-inch blooms held in clusters atop the foliage. (Their intense color will remind you of Marigolds.) Where it's happy, it reseeds freely.
A great choice for containers, the herb or vegetable garden, or annual beds, Mexican tarragon is very easy to grow. Once established, it tolerates drought nicely, and heat and humidity are never problems. To harvest the foliage for seasoning and spice, cut it BEFORE the blooms appear. You can do this all at once or gradually; it will regrow all season long from trimmings.
Give Mexican tarragon full sun and moist, well-drained soil for quickest and healthiest growth. Strongly scented and flavored, beautiful in bloom, and easy to cultivate, it's an herb that belongs in everyone's sunny garden.
