The illustrated growing guide
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon)
Tagetes lucida
Family Asteraceae
Est. zones 8-11
The heat-proof answer to French tarragon, which melts in Southern summers — this tough marigold cousin gives the same sweet anise flavor for cooking while thriving in brutal sun and drought. It rewards you in fall with edible golden flowers that pollinators swarm (and that decorate Day of the Dead altars). Easy, aromatic, pest-repelling, and beautiful.
Full Sun
Low water
Fast growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts beesI
Overview
Will mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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) at a glance
Common mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) problems
- Almost none — pest-repellent like its marigold kin
- Almost none
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow mexican tarragon (winter tarragon): light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)
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The year
What mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) asks for, month by month.
The mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
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.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Mexican Tarragon (Winter Tarragon) in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Pest control
- Nectary/insectary
What mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenleaves and flowers edible
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.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of mexican tarragon (winter tarragon), ruled as a catalogue.
Best mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) varieties & cultivars
Species (Texas tarragon / yerba anís)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to mexican tarragon (winter tarragon)yet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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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.
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Elsewhere
Where mexican tarragon (winter tarragon) sits in the library.
Comfrey
Lavender
Rosemary
Anise Hyssop