we love French tarragon in our house and I always buy four new plants every year if I can find them. Wintering them over in the greenhouse has not been terribly successful though and they don't survive our winter outside. I am wondering if anyone has some tips on growing and wintering tarragon. Because apparently tarragon can't be grown from seed (too few seeds produced is what I am told), I'd love to find a way to keep a healthy plant through the winter.
Thanks!

Sorry but I am of no help. I love tarragon but it doesn't do well in this heat and humidity. I have resorted to growing a southern knock off Texas tarragon or Mexican mint marigold. It is perennial here.

I hope you find an answer.

That's odd, because I've been growing tarragon outdoors in various locations in Seattle for close to 30 years, in the open and in pots. It always comes back from the underground parts in the Spring. It gets no special treatment. Sometimes it's been difficult to keep it going in locations that get too dry in Summer. Perhaps you've just been getting clones that are especially frost-tender.

French tarragon (the culinary variety) doesn't set seed (it's got some sort of chromosome anomalies compared to the "wild" species), and must be propagated vegetatively. No doubt there are many different cloned strains.

kreemoweet said: That's odd, because I've been growing tarragon outdoors in various locations in Seattle for close to 30 years, in the open and in pots. It always comes back from the underground parts in the Spring. It gets no special treatment. Sometimes it's been difficult to keep it going in locations that get too dry in Summer. Perhaps you've just been getting clones that are especially frost-tender.
kreemoweet, that's wonderful to hear! Hadn't really considered planting it outside so will try that this year. Do you have any recommendations as to the conditions it seems to do best in?
French tarragon (the culinary variety) doesn't set seed (it's got some sort of chromosome anomalies compared to the "wild" species), and must be propagated vegetatively. No doubt there are many different cloned strains.