Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is French tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called French tarragon, estragon.

About French tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus · also called French tarragon, estragon · herb

French tarragon is a perennial herb grown for narrow anise-flavoured leaves used in French cuisine. True French tarragon is sterile — must be propagated from cuttings or divisions, never seed. Russian tarragon (A. dracunculoides) is seed-grown but flavourless. Mildly toxic to pets.

French tarragon is the culinary clone of Artemisia dracunculus (Asteraceae), a species native to southern Russia and western Asia; the 'Sativa' selection is a sterile cultivar that rarely sets viable seed.

Because the sterile 'Sativa' clone does not come true from seed, it must be propagated by division or stem cuttings; divide clumps every 3-4 years to keep the planting vigorous.

Cold limit: USDA 4-8 · RHS H5 (15-24°C)

Sources: extension.illinois.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu, missouribotanicalgarden.org

What french tarragon's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — french tarragon is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-8 — 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 about −15 to −10 °C. French tarragon is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for french tarragon as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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 french tarragon go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 french tarragon can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

French tarragon hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is french tarragon cold hardy?

Yes — french tarragon is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H5 and USDA 4-8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. French tarragon is hardy across USDA 4-8; 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 french tarragon can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −15 to −10 °C. French tarragon is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is french tarragon?

French tarragon is rated USDA 4-8 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can french tarragon survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-8 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 french tarragon below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −15 to −10 °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.