Tagetes lucida
Mexican tarragon, anise-scented marigold, pericón, yerba anís: the Aztecs called it yauhtli and used it in their ceremonies long before the arrival of the Spanish. Its great advantage over French tarragon is that it withstands summer heat without flinching, while its European cousin struggles.
Characteristics:
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Anise aroma: the leaves and flowers give off a distinct anise fragrance, very similar to tarragon.
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Golden flowering: small, bright yellow flower heads appear in late summer and autumn; they are decorative and edible.
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Heat-resistant: unlike traditional tarragon, it thrives in the height of summer.
Precautions:
- Perennial in its native range, it is frost-tender in our climates: grow it in a pot so you can bring it indoors for the winter, or treat it as an annual.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun; it enjoys heat.
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Soil: ordinary, light and well-drained, even poor soil. It is especially sensitive to stagnant moisture. Fertilizing is unnecessary: soil that is too rich reduces the intensity of its aromas.
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Method: sow in pots under cover from March to April (20 °C), on the surface because the seeds need light to germinate, then transplant after the frosts. Do not soak or stratify. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant into pots or the open ground after the last frosts, spacing plants 30 cm apart. Growing it in a pot is ideal for small spaces and makes overwintering easier.
Harvesting advice:
- Pick the leaves as needed, before flowering for maximum aroma. They dry very well and retain their fragrance.
Beneficial combinations:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its late flowering, in late summer and autumn, provides a valuable resource for pollinators at a time of year when few flowers remain.
Uses:
- Its leaves replace tarragon in cooked dishes, with the advantage of standing up better to cooking. Its flowers can be eaten fresh in salads or used as a natural coloring, adding a mustard hue to dishes. See our edible flowers.
- In Mexico, it is traditionally used to flavor cocoa drinks.
Symbolism:
As a ritual plant of the Aztecs, yauhtli was burned as incense during ceremonies dedicated to the deities of water and rain.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Leave a few flower heads to dry completely on the plant until they turn brown, then thresh them: the black seeds with white tufts come away easily. See how to store your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
An anise-scented, resilient alternative to traditional tarragon, suitable for growing in the vegetable garden or in a pot.
