Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida)

Licorice-Sweet Herb with Golden Blooms

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. Bright yellow marigold-like flowers bloom throughout summer and fall, attracting butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects while adding color and cheer to herb gardens and landscape borders.

Cultural & Culinary Significance

Mexican Tarragon has a long history of traditional use in Mexico and Central America. The Aztecs used the plant in rituals, teas, and traditional remedies, giving this fragrant herb a rich connection to place and culture. Today, its leaves remain popular for their distinctive anise-like flavor and are used in teas, vinegars, sauces, eggs, and fish dishes.

Why Grow Mexican Tarragon?

• Delicious heat-tolerant alternative to French tarragon
• Fragrant edible leaves bring a licorice-sweet flavor to dishes and teas
• Bright yellow flowers attract butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects
• Drought-tolerant and pest-resistant once established
• Beautiful culinary and medicinal herb for gardens or containers

Growing Tips

(Also known as: Mexican Tarragon, Mexican Mint Marigold, Sweet Mace, Tagetes lucida)

Plant Mexican Tarragon in full sun and well-drained soil for the best flavor and flowering. Pinch young stems to encourage a fuller, bushier plant and remove spent blooms to prolong flowering. Harvest leaves in the morning for peak essential oil content. It grows well in containers and is well suited to hot, sunny gardens.