# Tarragon

*Artemisia dracunculus*

The name 'dracunculus' means 'little dragon,' referring to the plant's serpentine, twisting root system.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Artemisia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry meadows, rocky hillsides, and steppes with well-drained soil.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and minerals from soil).
- **Range:** North America, Eurasia, Northern Africa
- **Size:** 60 cm to 150 cm in height.
- **Lifespan:** 3 to 10 years depending on the subspecies.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Agricultural expansion and land development.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless. Safe to touch and smell. If foraging, ensure identification is certain as some wild relatives are bitter or mildly toxic. No special medical care needed for contact.

## About

Tarragon ( Artemisia dracunculus ), also known as estragon , is a species of perennial herb in the sunflower family. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America, and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d92dbd93-9d0b-486a-80cf-b9f193f169fa
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/57912
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia dracunculus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/84568291/medium.jpg (Steve Matson, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.