Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida)

Licorice-Sweet Culinary Herb with Golden Blooms and Healing Power

Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida), also known as Mexican Mint Marigold, is a fragrant, golden-flowered herb native to Central America and a beloved culinary and medicinal plant with a bold, anise-like flavor. Often used as a heat-tolerant substitute for French tarragon, this plant thrives in hot, sunny gardens and is prized for its edible leaves and vibrant blooms.

Its narrow, glossy green leaves add a licorice-sweet punch to vinegars, herbal teas, sauces, eggs, and fish dishes. The bright yellow marigold-like flowers bloom throughout summer and fall, attracting butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects while adding color and cheer to your herb garden or landscape border.

Traditionally used by the Aztecs for rituals, teas, and remedies, Mexican Tarragon also has calming, digestive, and antimicrobial benefits. It’s drought-tolerant, pest-resistant, and easy to grow—making it a hardy, high-value plant for gardeners in warm climates.

Why You'll Love It:

• Delicious heat-tolerant alternative to French tarragon
• Fragrant edible leaves and bright pollinator-friendly flowers
• Used in teas, vinegars, traditional medicine, and ritual
• Drought-tolerant and pest-resistant in sunny gardens
• Attracts butterflies and bees while blooming all season

Growing Tips:

• Plant in full sun with well-drained soil for best flavor and flowering
• Pinch young stems regularly to encourage a fuller, bushier plant
• Harvest leaves in the morning for peak essential oil content
• Remove spent blooms to prolong flowering season
• Grows well in containers—perfect for patios and sunny herb spirals