Tarragon is, by far, one of my favorite herbs. But, the biggest problem for me with Tarragon
– I cannot grow it here. French Tarragon
(which is the one most recommended used for cooking) doesn’t like our heat or
humidity. And, so, I went for the best
alternative –
Mexican Mint
Marigold or Texas Tarragon, Cloud Plant, Sweet Mace, Sweet Marigold.
This is a very old herb which is native to Central and South
America and has been used as a culinary and medicinal herb for more than a
thousand years. For all its similarity
in flavor to French Tarragon, it is not related at all. It is a member of the Tagetes family and is a close cousin to marigolds.
This perennial has an anise/liquorice-like flavor and is a
little sweeter than French tarragon. Use
it the same way though – asparagus, broccoli, beef, fish, mushrooms, peas,
carrots, chicken, rice, eggs and in sauces, soups, butters, and vinegars. Because the leaves break down quickly, it is
best to add MMM at the end of a long cooking cycle. The one drawback to using dried MMM – it doesn’t
hold its flavor well (keep dried MMM in a
tightly capped glass container away from heat and light; discard after 3-6
months). Best to use it fresh. The good thing about MMM – it grows very
easily and well here pretty much year round.
Mexican Mint Marigold will grow in any average garden soil. It’s likely to freeze so keep it well mulched (5 or 6 inches
worth) from fall to the following spring.
Plant it in full sun (even our full sun). Plants can grow to 15 to 20 inches in height. It is somewhat drought tolerant but will grow
best with regular watering. It will
produce small, bright gold-yellow flowers summer through fall. Put the flowers in a salad to add color and
flavor. Or, use them to produce a nice
yellow dye.
I’ve had MMM in one garden or another for years. During THE GREAT FLOOD OF 2017, it sat under
water for several days. And, when the
water drained away, it was gone. Not
even a soggy stem was left. Sigh. But, this spring, it popped right up out of
the ground and is growing like mad. Yea!
In addition to being a great culinary herb, MMM is also a
good companion plant for beans, tomatoes, kale, and potatoes. It attracts bees and butterflies and will
help deter various beetle and weevils. It can also help reduce the number of harmful
nematodes in the garden soil.
In addition to its use as a culinary herb, MMM has been used
medicinally for equally as long. Legend
has it that the ancient Aztecs administered it to their sacrificial victims
before they were killed. It was believed to have sedative and psychotropic
effects. True or not, it was used in the
way back years for the treatment of upset stomach, to stimulate appetite, as a
diuretic, help lower blood pressure, to treat gout, the common cold, colic,
malaria and non-specific fevers. A poultice
of the leaves was applied to snake bites to draw out the poison. A tea made from Mexican Mint Marigold is
reported to increase the strength and stamina in long-distance runners and
other athletes, acting similarly to caffeine in coffee.
According to one source, if a stem falls over, it can root
itself into a new plant. I’ve not tried
to stem root MMM but I think I’ll take a cutting and see what happens. I’ll let you know.
Take care
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