Tarragon

Tarragon, False Tarragon, Green Sagewort

Artemesia dracunculus L.

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

▲ ▼ mature plants

▲ flowering stem

Artemisia dracunculus L., Wild Tarragon: (Bayer Code: ARTDR; US Code ARDR4)

• Native simple perennial, semi-woody plant with bright-green, linear leaves
• Grows 1-3 feet tall, often with many upright branches that are stiff and stemmy (not palatable); stems are often reddish
• Leaves are green, linear, unlobed and may have no odor to moderate fragrance fragrant
• Flowers are tiny, green in axils of leaves on upper stems
• May be toxic if consumed by livestock in great quantity
• Can be distinguished from field sagewort in that wild tarragon has linear leaves, rather than the divided leaves of field sagewort
• Found in dry, sandy soils; more common in upper Midwest

(Updated January 19, 2019)

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