When to plant Tarragon in Arid Australia

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Tarragon is not recommended for arid gardens, which is why there is no reliable sowing window here. True French tarragon is rarely grown from seed at all, and the seed-grown Russian type struggles with the extreme heat, cold desert nights and low humidity of Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie. Where it can be grown it is raised from seedlings and set out 50 cm apart with rows 30–45 cm apart, germinating slowly over 10–28 days and reaching usable size in about 90 days. In the desert, though, treat tarragon as a pot herb in a sheltered, part-shaded spot rather than an open-ground crop.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

No sowing window in this zone.

Growing notes

The honest answer is that tarragon is a poor fit for open arid beds. It is a half-hardy perennial that wants moderate warmth, moist but well-drained soil and protection from temperature extremes — exactly the conditions the desert does not offer. Summer heat above 40°C scorches the foliage, and the cold, dry winter nights knock it back hard, so plants rarely settle into a productive clump outdoors.

If you want tarragon in Port Augusta or Mildura, grow it in a container you can move. Keep it in morning sun with afternoon shade through summer, water often enough that the mix never fully dries, and bring it against a warm wall or under cover on the coldest winter nights. A pot also lets you give it the light, free-draining mix it prefers rather than fighting heavy or salty ground.

Do not expect the intense aniseed flavour of French tarragon from seed — seed-raised plants are the milder Russian type. For that classic flavour you would buy a French tarragon plant and propagate by division or cuttings instead. In practice, many arid gardeners get a better result from heat-tolerant substitutes for that aniseed note, such as sweet fennel or garden chervil in the cool season, and keep tarragon itself as a fussy pot specimen.

Tarragon at a glance

Common questions

can you grow tarragon in the desert

It is difficult in open arid ground because tarragon dislikes both 40°C summer heat and cold, dry winter nights. Grow it in a movable pot with afternoon shade and winter protection rather than in an exposed bed.

why is tarragon not recommended for arid zones

Tarragon is a half-hardy perennial that wants moderate, stable conditions and even moisture. Arid gardens deliver the opposite — extreme heat, cold nights and very low humidity — so it rarely thrives outdoors here.

is seed-grown tarragon the same as French tarragon

No, seed-raised tarragon is the milder Russian type. True French tarragon, with the strong aniseed flavour, is grown from division or cuttings of a bought plant, not from seed.

what can I grow instead of tarragon in Alice Springs

For a similar aniseed note in the cool season, try sweet fennel or garden chervil, which cope better with local conditions. If you still want tarragon, keep it as a sheltered pot herb you can move out of extremes.

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