When it arrives
Your 3-inch plug
It arrives actively growing. Water it the day it comes, let it rest in bright shade for 2–3 days, then harden it off for about a week before planting. Set the top of the root ball level with the soil — never deeper.
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French Tarragon grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 36.0 in
- Mature spread
- 15.0 in
- Fragrance
- Moderate
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow French Tarragon Plants & Plugs
Artemisia · Artemisia dracunculus 'Sativa'
Silver mound artemisia needs full sun and lean, dry, fast-draining soil. Its biggest enemy is humidity and wet soil, which make the mound split open and rot in midsummer.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Full sunLight
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Low waterFast drainage
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pH 6.0–8.0Soil
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Zones 4a–8bHardiness
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36″ tall15″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
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Mildly toxicPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if French Tarragon Plants & Plugs will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 4a–8b
Spring after hard frost, or late summer to early fall.
Your year with French Tarragon Plants & Plugs
JFMAMJJASOND
When it arrives
Your potted plant
It arrives growing in its pot. Water on arrival and let it settle in light shade for 2–3 days. Loosen any circling roots and plant with the top of the root ball level with the soil.
When to plant
Spring after hard frost, or late summer to early fall.
How deep
Plant with the crown exactly at soil level. Burying the crown or piling mulch on it invites rot.
Spacing
About 12–18 in apart so air moves between mounds.
Soil
Sandy, gravelly or average, low in organic matter · pH 6.0–8.0
Fix-it tip: Avoid compost-rich beds. In clay, add grit and plant on a mound or raised edge; good airflow and dry soil keep it tight and silver.
Sun
Full sun (tolerates very light afternoon shade).
Shade and rich soil both make the mound loose and floppy.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
New silver-green shoots push from the base in early to mid spring. Old woody stems from last year can look dead; growth comes from the crown.
Spring
Cut old stems back to new growth.
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Summer
Shear by half in early summer; keep dry.
Fall
Leave stems standing; plant or divide early fall.
Winter
Hardy; keep soil from staying soggy.
Watering
First season: Water when the top inch of soil is dry for the first few weeks after planting; don't keep it soggy.
After that: Very drought tolerant. Water only in extended drought, at the base, never overhead.
Feeding
None needed. Fertilizer makes it grow loose and split open.
Pruning & deadheading
Shear the mound back by about half in early summer, before or as tiny flowers form, to keep it tight. If it splits open in midsummer, shear hard and it will regrow. Cut old stems to new basal growth in spring.
Dividing
Every 2–3 years in spring when the center opens up or dies out.
Winter
Silver mound is hardy to about zone 3–4. Wet winter soil is a bigger threat than cold; don't cut back in fall.
Summer heat
Struggles in hot, humid summers; the center may 'melt out' in July. Shearing and good drainage help.
Mound splits open, center flat
Likely cause: Humidity, rich soil or too much water
What to do: Shear back by half, stop watering and feeding; it regrows tighter.
Plant turns black at the base
Likely cause: Crown rot from wet soil
What to do: Move to a raised, gritty spot; remove rotted parts.
Leggy, open growth
Likely cause: Too much shade
What to do: Move to full sun.
Too wet or too dry?
Mound flops open, center browns or turns black in humid weather: too wet or crowded. Wilting gray leaves that don't recover overnight: needs water.
Watch for
- Center rot / melt-out in humidity
- Root rot in wet or heavy soil
- Rust occasionally
Pets & wildlife
Silver mound is not listed by ASPCA, but ASPCA lists tarragon, another Artemisia, as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (essential oils; mild vomiting and diarrhea).
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 1 gallon+
Good in pots and troughs with gritty mix; makes a soft silver filler. Pots must drain freely.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
Needs full sun and winter dormancy outdoors.
Winter chill
No chill needed
Grown for foliage, not flowers; no chill needed. It still goes through a normal winter dormancy outdoors.
Growing it on
3-inch plug
1-gallon pot once roots circle the plug
Garden bed or a 1 gallon pot
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Potted plant
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Garden bed or a pot at least 1 gallon
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Plant it right alongside lavender
Same full sun and lean, dry soil. The low silver mound sets off lavender's purple spikes and stays neat at the front of a lavender bed.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
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