Texas Tarragon Seeds — Tagetes lucida

Aniseed Fragrance and Little Golden Flowers

Texas tarragon (Tagetes lucida), also known as Mexican tarragon or Mexican mint marigold, brings aromatic green leaves and cheerful golden flowers to the herb garden. Snip a little foliage into dressings, egg dishes, sauces, or herb butter for a sweet aniseed note.

Despite its common name, this is a member of the marigold family, not French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus). Its leaves can offer a useful tarragon-like flavour in cooking, while its small yellow blooms make it an attractive addition to a sunny border or patio pot.

Why Gardeners Love It

• 🌿 Aromatic leaves — a sweet aniseed fragrance for the kitchen
• 💛 Golden flowers — small bright blooms in late summer and autumn
• 🍽️ Useful culinary herb — try a little in dressings, egg dishes and sauces
• 🪴 Suitable for pots — handy where winter protection is needed
• ☀️ Warm-weather growth — enjoys sunshine and a sheltered position
• 🌱 Tender perennial — can persist in mild areas with protection from cold

Growing Tips for New Zealand

Sow under cover in spring with gentle warmth. Sow the seeds on moist seed-raising mix and cover very lightly with fine mix. Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Germination commonly takes approximately 7–21 days at around 18–24°C.

Prick out seedlings once large enough to handle, harden off gradually, and plant outside after the risk of frost has passed. Choose full sun, shelter from cold winds, and fertile, free-draining soil. Space approximately 30–45 cm apart.

Water regularly while young plants establish, then during dry spells. Pinch growing tips to encourage branching. In cooler parts of New Zealand, grow as an annual or keep a pot in a bright, frost-free sheltered place over winter. Winter survival outdoors depends on local frost severity and drainage.

Begin picking small amounts of foliage once plants are established, leaving plenty of growth for the plant to recover. Use sparingly at first to judge its aniseed flavour. Harvest leafy stems before flowering if drying for kitchen use, and leave some stems to enjoy the late-season golden blooms.

What’s in the Packet

Each packet contains 25 Texas Tarragon seeds (Tagetes lucida).

📄 Want to go even deeper? The CHBotanics Propagation from Seeds Manual — Professional Edition — a comprehensive digital PDF covering sowing times, germination, spacing, and much more across dozens of flower and vegetable species, is available as an instant download. 🌱😊