My French tarragon does quite well in the ground here in zone 5. It always dies back to the ground, but comes up vigorously in the spring. Don't know about pot culture though. Is a lack of space preventing you from planting them in the ground?

Here, I lost all my tarragon after a single summer when it was planted outdoors. I also had an indoor one and thought for sure it would be dead the follwing spring. However, it did sprout about 8 new green shoots the following spring, only because it was indoors and still was watered. Planted part of it outside, after that, where it grew quite well, but then died out that fall again. The left over in the pot also died out and never returned. I seem to recall reading somewhere, that tarragon has a 2 year life span. Mine never came back the third year even though it was watered all winter and nurtured like the year before.

Herbalbetty - I have plenty of space but most herbs planted outside here need to be watered during the summer as there is almost no summer rain where I am. Some of my herbs - lemon balm, most lavenders, motherwort - do well with no extra water at all. However, I put a tarragon outside one year and it didn't come up the following year at all.

Things in my greenhouse I remember to water or they can be put on an automatic system so that is where I keep the things I really don't want to lose.

KSroger - I, too, had read of a 2 year life span but then couldn't find that reference again. Two years is mostly what I get so perhaps it is true and I will have to give up on any longer life.

Seems strange pattern for a plant which rarely reseeds itself though.

Oh well. I now have two plants. I will try both ways that occur to me - planting in a LARGE pot and planting the other one outside. If I plant after August it will get actual rain and might root itself deeply enough to survive the summer.

Thanks for the thoughts.

a.m.

My French tarragon lasts for years. It does like a cold dormancy though. Arlene, what are your winters like there?

Just checked the small tarragon plant that was in my greenhouse. I watered it most every day, and thought it was doing quite well. Yesterday it was nearly dead due to the soil drying out too much. It needs to get repotted and I plant to bring it indoors soon , if it survives. Never saw it grow after two years though, no matter how its cared for.

When I lived in Nebraska, I had tarragon for 7 years. My tarragon here in NY state is going on 6 years. I give it excellent drainage and it gets full sun. I know it can be very picky about what site it enjoys.

Could be that the tarragon was a strain that grows better in some climates. None of mine planted anyplace in my garden did well after a single winter outdoors. I even covered some with a fabric mulch cloth one fall, so that the winter cold wouldn't affect it as much. Dill seeds, falling from nearby plants did far better sprouting the next spring than tarragon. Luckily, I was able to catch that dieing plant in my greenhouse, before it totally died out. It does need repotting though, and that will be done very soon. My outdoor one is nearly 2 feet around right now, and has never looked this good. I will try again, and leave that one for the winter, but plan to harvest many leaves for drying and for flavored white balsamic vinegar.