Is Tarragon deer resistant?
Artemisia dracunculus
Plant typePerennialHardinessZones 3–8LightFull sunMature height12–36 inBloomSummer
MaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range26 US states
Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
About Tarragon
Buy French tarragon as a plant, never as seed, because the seed sold under that name is the coarse and largely flavourless Russian form. Needs sharp drainage to survive winter.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Sharp, gritty. Will rot in wet soil
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 18 to 24 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Tarragon
Other perennials with the same deer rating.
- Anise HyssopAgastache sp.Zones 4–9, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Basket of GoldAurinia saxatilisZones 3–7Rarely damaged
- Bearded IrisIris germanicaZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Bigleaf GoldenrayLigularia dentataZones 4–8Rarely damaged
- Bleeding HeartLamprocapnos spectabilisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
- Butter and EggsLinaria vulgarisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Where Tarragon grows
Hardy across most of these 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvania
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missourinative
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texasnative
- Coloradonative
- Californianative
- Oregonnative
- Washingtonnative
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahomanative
- Kansasnative
- Nebraskanative
- Iowanative
- North Dakotanative
- South Dakotanative
- Montananative
- Wyomingnative
- Idahonative
- Utahnative
- Nevadanative
- Arizonanative
- New Mexiconative
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 26 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Tarragon belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Tarragon
- Is Tarragon deer resistant?
- Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is rated Rarely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Tarragon grow in?
- Tarragon is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Tarragon grow in shade?
- No. Tarragon wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Tarragon get?
- Mature height is roughly 12–36 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- Is Tarragon toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Tarragon as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.