Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon)
Tagetes lucida
Family Asteraceae
French tarragon melts in a Southern summer; Mexican tarragon shrugs and keeps cooking. This tough marigold cousin delivers the same sweet anise flavor from leaves that thrive in brutal sun and drought — then finishes the year covered in golden, edible flowers that still decorate Day of the Dead altars.
Butterflies and bees swarm the fall bloom, the aromatic foliage discourages pests, and the whole plant runs happily on heat and neglect at 18-30 inches. In hot-summer gardens it isn't a substitute — it's the upgrade. Trade the sulking French pot for one of these.
Where to buy mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) — 4 nurseries compared
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) — Tagetes lucida, print Nº 300, “Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon).”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) actually needs.
Life cyclePerennial zones 8–11, annual elsewhereMexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Common problems
Common mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none — pest-repellent like its marigold kin
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Growing & propagation
Growing mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low-Moderate
Heat- and drought-tough
Soil- Any well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.5
Fertilizer- Light
Pruning- After bloom
The tarragon for hot climates — French tarragon sulks and dies in Southern heat and humidity, but this marigold relative delivers the same sweet anise flavor while thriving in blazing sun. Bonus: it erupts in edible golden flowers in fall that pollinators love, and it's a traditional Day of the Dead flower. Easy from cuttings; winter it indoors up north.
Spacing- 10-12 in
How to plant & propagate mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Yearly calendar
The mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomSeptember to November
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Tagetes lucida
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Pest control
- Nectary/insectary
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenleaves and flowers edible
Use- Heat-proof tarragon
- Use
- Edible flowers
- Use
- Pollinators
- Edible value
- 3/5
Harvesting & storing mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)
Anise-flavored leaves all season — a heat-proof stand-in for French tarragon, which melts in Southern summers.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) variety
Species (Texas tarragon / yerba anís)
Sources & plant identity
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Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon)
Tagetes lucida
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Tagetes lucida
- Plant family
- Asteraceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial · Tender Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- TALU3
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) questions, answered straight.
Is mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) safe for kids and pets?
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: leaves and flowers edible. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)?
Anise-flavored leaves all season — a heat-proof stand-in for French tarragon, which melts in Southern summers.
How do you propagate mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop