Mexican Tarragon Seeds

Bring anise-like flavor and golden flowers to your herb garden. Mexican tarragon, also called Mexican mint marigold, adds fragrant leaves to fish, poultry, and other savory dishes. Grow it near the kitchen in a sunny bed or container.

Packet: 50 seeds

Planting at a glance

• Season: Herb — see planting window
• Start: Start indoors about 6–8 weeks before transplanting, or direct sow after frost
• Seed depth: ⅛ inch in trays; about ¼ inch outdoors
• Germination: Usually 5–15 days
• Final spacing: Thin to 8–12 inches
• Light: Full sun
• Harvest planning: Pick leaves once plants are established; golden flowers come later in the growing season

When to plant

Plant outdoors after frost danger passes and the soil has warmed. In short-season areas, count back from your intended outdoor planting date for indoor starts.

How to plant

1. Prepare loose, well-drained soil or a clean seed-starting mix. Start indoors about 6–8 weeks before transplanting, or direct sow after frost.
2. Sow ⅛ inch in trays; about ¼ inch outdoors deep. Keep the seedbed evenly moist until seedlings emerge. Then water when the soil needs it, allowing excess water to drain.
3. Thin or transplant to the listed final spacing. Give seedlings sufficient light and check moisture as roots establish.

How to harvest

Snip leafy tips for kitchen use, leaving a branching framework.

Aunt E’s tip: Pinch young plants to encourage branching instead of one tall stem.

Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified photograph of the mature plant.