Russian Tarragon

[Marty Maraschino]

Well, I guess I made another newbie mistake. I winter sowed 4 bottles of russian tarragon. It's doing great. Now I come to find out that it is apparently junk and not recomended for cooking and if planted will spread like a weed. It turns out it is the french tarragon that is desirable for cooking and making flavored vinegars and it isn't grown from seed. DARN IT!!!! That pack of seeds was a waste of money. :(

[rngardener]

I did that too!

I can't get French tarragon to thrive here in Atlanta, so now I grow Mexican Mint Marigold -- tastes like tarragon (And is often sold for tarragon at some our local markets) but loves the heat.

Don't feel bad. I learn best by making mistakes and being ridiculed. Too bad, but thats the way it is!

[littlechickenfarmer]

Never heard of the mexican mint marigold... Is it any good.

[rngardener]

I like it. It has a strong tarragon-ny flavor and looks like tarragon on steroids! It is a bigger, more robust plant. The leaves are great anywhere you would use tarragon.

[bluelacedredhead]

Marty, I hope you planted the Russian Taragon in a spot where it has lots of room to grow. It's not invasive. Just very tall and becomes heavy and falls over :eek: I have mine at the back of the herb garden where the only place it can fall is against the wall of the house.
We don't use ours often. guess we don't eat fish enough anymore.
Anyone have other uses for tarragon that would make me feel that this rather large planting isn't going to waste? :confused:

[Marty Maraschino]

So its not to bitter to use on things like fish? I was given the impression that it isn't worth using . I think I will also put it toward the back of the herb garden.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

Uh oh. How do I know if I planted Russian Tarragon? :(

[Marty Maraschino]

If you started the tarragon from seed chances are it is Russian.

[leelanau_ferg]

Tarragon is good with chicken also. A little goes a long way. A bit in viniagrettes is nice sometimes too.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

Bah. Oh well I'll taste it this year and see what I think.

[aberration]

I can't get French tarragon to thrive here in Atlanta, so now I grow Mexican Mint Marigold -- tastes like tarragon (And is often sold for tarragon at some our local markets) but loves the heat.

Oh, I think I may have some of that... is it also called Sweet Mace? It's definitely a type of marigold. I have yet to use it for anything.

[TastyofHasty]

I was reading Southern Herb Growing by Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay last night; under tarragon, it said

"do not confuse it with its close relative, A. redowskii (sometimes classified A. dracunculoides and often called Russian tarragon), which looks much like true tarragon but which has no flavor." Then they go on about you'll have trouble in hot and humid South growing it. They had a section under Mint Marigold, Tagetes lucida, where they say,

"Leaves are used for tea and potpourri. Its greatest blessing, however, is as an excellent culinary substitute for tarragon, that temperamental herb we so seldom grow successfully. Mint marigold is also unsurpassed for green salads and for poultry and fish cookery -- a backbone plant for the culinary garden in the South. Add it late in the cooking process, as its flavor tends to cook out."

Dang! I went and bought some 'tarragon seed,' too! :(