Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Russian Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Russian Tarragon, Wild Tarragon.

More about russian tarragon

About Russian Tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa · also called Russian Tarragon, Wild Tarragon · herb

Russian Tarragon is a vigorous, drought-tolerant perennial herb grown for its anise-scented foliage. Far hardier than French tarragon, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Flavor is milder than the French variety. Cut back in autumn and divide every 2–3 years to maintain vigor.

Cold limit: USDA 3–9 · RHS H7 (10–28°C)

What russian tarragon's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — russian tarragon is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H7 means: Hardy in the severest European continental winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3–9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Russian Tarragon is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for russian tarragon as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can russian tarragon go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 3–9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when russian tarragon can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H7 figure above.

Russian Tarragon hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is russian tarragon cold hardy?

Yes — russian tarragon is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H7 and USDA 3–9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Russian Tarragon is hardy across USDA 3–9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature russian tarragon can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly below about −20 °C. Russian Tarragon is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is russian tarragon?

Russian Tarragon is rated USDA 3–9 and RHS H7 — Hardy in the severest European continental winters.

Can russian tarragon survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 3–9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to russian tarragon below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.