Artemisia dracunculus

Artemisia dracunculus, commonly known as tarragon, is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America, and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes in many lands.

Description

Artemisia dracunculus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 120–150 cm tall, with slender branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 2–8 cm long and 2–10 mm broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitulae 2–4 mm diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets.

Cultivation

Tarragon grows readily in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil and thrives in full sun to light shade. It is a hardy plant that can withstand low temperatures and is often grown as a culinary herb in kitchen gardens.

Uses

Tarragon is one of the four fines herbes of French cooking, and is particularly suitable for chicken, fish, and egg dishes. Tarragon is the main flavoring component of Béarnaise sauce. Fresh, lightly bruised sprigs of tarragon are steeped in vinegar to produce tarragon vinegar.

Medicinal uses

Tarragon has been used as a traditional remedy for toothaches because of its numbing effect. It is also used as a digestive tonic, appetite stimulant, and to promote menstruation.

See also

• List of culinary herbs and spices
• List of plants used in herbalism