Practical
Plants

Artemisia dracunculoides

Russian Tarragon

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Spread
0.5 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people[9].

Edible uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[17][18][2][3]. The N. American Indians would bake the leaves between hot stones and then eat them with salt water[5][8]. The leaves can also be eaten raw in salads but are inferior to A. dracunculus (Tarragon)[5]. The flavour is said to improve as the plant matures[6][14]. Seed - raw or cooked. An oily texture[17][18][3][5]. The seed is very small and fiddly to use[K].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

The herb is antiscorbutic, diuretic, emmenagogue, hypnotic and stomachic[7][17][4]. The fresh herb is eaten to promote the appetite[14].

Product or use
Antiscorbutic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Hypnotic
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

Both the growing and the dried plant repels insects[19].

Product or use
Repellent

Environment

Range
N. America. N. Europe. N. Asia - Siberia.
Habitat
Prairies, plains and dry slopes[16].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, the divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions f required. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots when 10 - 15cm long, pot them up in a greenhouse and plant out when well rooted. Very easy.

Cultivation

Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position[1][6]. Established plants are drought tolerant[6]. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil[13]. Nomenclature is somewhat confused for this species. It is considered by some botanists to be a hardier form of A. dracunculus but with an inferior flavour[15][6], whilst some consider it to be part of A. glauca[16]. It is very similar to A. dracunculus, but is more vigorous and hardier, Its leaves have a pungent and less pleasant flavour than that species[12]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  4. Reid. B. E. Famine Foods of the Chiu-Huang Pen-ts'ao. Taipei. Southern Materials Centre 1977-00-00

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  7. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩

  8. Whiting. A. F. Ethnobotany of the Hopi North Arizona Society of Science and Art 1939-00-00

    ↩

  9. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩

  10. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  11. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

  12. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩

  13. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩

  14. Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism Orbis Publishing. London. 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-85613-067-2

    ↩1↩2

  15. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩

  16. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  19. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

    ↩

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