How to Grow Tarragon Canada

On this page
  1. Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
  2. Soil & Growing Conditions
  3. Growth Stages
  4. Quick Facts
  5. At a Glance
  6. Harvest & Storage
  7. Diseases
  8. Plan your Tarragon planting
  9. Growing Tarragon in another region
  10. Sources
  11. Frequently Asked Questions

In Canada, tarragon is ready to harvest 42–56 days after planting.

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) — perennial.

Unlike an annual crop, the work here is front-loaded into establishment: get the planting and the site right and the same plants crop for several seasons.

The short answer

Ready in
42–56 days
Site
soil pH 6.5–7
Biggest risk
Honey fungus

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)

A bushy tarragon shrub — “Artemisia dracunculus Bylica estragon 2021-04-27 01” by Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

7 sources cited · Verified

Soil & Growing Conditions

Tarragon growing in its natural habitat by a lake
Tarragon growing in its natural habitat by a lake. Photo by Thayne Tuason, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Soil pH range

6.5 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

A bushy tarragon shrub
A bushy tarragon shrub. Photo by Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Stage BBCH Notes
Propagation 0 Propagate Russian tarragon by seed, French tarragon by semi-hardwood cuttings or division in late summer (RHS).
Establishment 3 Establishes as an upright, columnar perennial in full sun on well-drained soil, sheltered from wet winters (RHS).
Basal pruning 6 Cut back to new basal shoots in mid to late spring to maintain vigour (RHS).
Mature clump 9 Reaches full maturity over 2-5 years, 0.5-1m in height, 0.1-0.5m spread (RHS).

Quick Facts

Close-up of narrow tarragon leaves
Close-up of narrow tarragon leaves. Photo: “Artemisia dracunculus - Botanischer Garten Mainz IMG 5516” by Oceancetaceen - Alice Chodura, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6.5 - 7
Optimal growing temp 12-22°C
Minimum survivable temp -15°C
Time to harvest 42-56 days
Drainage Free-draining
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts leaves

At a Glance

A bushy tarragon shrub
A bushy tarragon shrub. Photo by Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Artemisia dracunculus Tarragon Honey fungus Powdery mildew Tarragon rust DISEASES

Harvest & Storage

Close-up of narrow tarragon leaves
Close-up of narrow tarragon leaves. Photo: “Artemisia dracunculus - Botanischer Garten Mainz IMG 5516” by Oceancetaceen - Alice Chodura, CC BY-SA 3.0.

When to pick: RHS: harvest leaves "when new growth starts in spring and continue into autumn"; pick from shoot tips regularly to encourage fresh growth, using young leaves for best flavour. USU: for drying, "the first harvest is 6 to 8 weeks after growth has begun"; sprigs harvested as needed through the season, each about one-third the stem length; for drying, harvest before the first fall frost.

Storage

Best used fresh; can be dried for longer storage

Diseases

Tarragon seedheads on flowering stems
Tarragon seedheads on flowering stems. Photo by Pau Pámies Grácia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Honey fungus

Armillaria spp.

RHS Artemisia dracunculus plant page: "May be susceptible to honey fungus".

RHS names this directly.

Tarragon rust
low

RHS names this directly.

Plan your Tarragon planting

When to sow and plant Tarragon depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Tarragon in another region

Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 7 sources behind this guide (FAO EcoCrop, GBIF, NC State Extension and others) is in the references of our UK guide to tarragon; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does tarragon take to grow?

Typically 42–56 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH does tarragon need?

A pH of about 6.5–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect tarragon?

Our data links 3 diseases to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

Get the Canada Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides Canada

Last verified 2026-09-02

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