Tagetes lucida.
The tarragon that isn't one. Behind this common name hides a plant of an entirely different family — a Tagetes, that is to say, a close relative of decorative French marigolds and African marigolds, but whose leaf flavour mimics true French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) so well that it traditionally replaces it in Mexican cooking and in every tropical country where real tarragon refuses to grow. A sacred plant of the Aztecs under the name yauhtli, used in their religious ceremonies and in the preparation of cacáhuatl (the ritual cacao drink), it continues today to perfume Mexican atoles, flavoured pulques, sauces and certain artisanal hot chocolates.
An annual in Québec (perennial only in zone 8 and warmer), 60 to 90 cm tall, upright in habit, with fine, smooth, glossy leaves of a flavour astonishingly close to tarragon but with a more marked anise note and an almost caramelized sweetness in the background. Crowned in late summer and early fall with a cloud of small yellow-orange flowers resembling mini French marigolds — prettily decorative and very attractive to late-season pollinators. At the table, use it exactly like French tarragon: fresh with chicken, fish, eggs, in béarnaise and tartare sauces, snipped on summer vegetables or infused in vinegar. Precious bonus: unlike true tarragon, which loses almost all its flavour on drying, Mexican tarragon keeps an intense perfume once dried — hence its value as a winter pantry herb.
Grower's tip: Slower-than-average germination (10 to 14 days) and a heat requirement — start indoors 8 to 10 weeks before last frost, at 22-25 °C. Sow on the surface or barely cover — the seeds like light to emerge. Transplant once all risk of frost is past and the soil is well warmed. The plant settles in slowly at first, then truly thrives in the heat of July-August; peak production of aromatic leaves often coincides, by the way, with flowering. Harvest leaves as needed or cut stems in bundles for drying, which takes a few days in open air.
- Open-pollinated. Annual in Québec (perennial only in zone 8+). Insect-pollinated; little risk of crossing with other garden herbs.
- Height: 60 to 90 cm.
- Maturity: 60 to 75 days for the leaves; flowers from mid-August.
- Exposure: full sun, sheltered from wind.
- Ordinary to rich, well-drained soil. Tolerates drought. Space plants 30 to 40 cm apart.
- Indoor start 8 to 10 weeks before last frost. Transplant once all risk of frost is past and the soil is well warmed (15 °C minimum).
