SimplePlant

Asteraceae

Tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus L.

Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Artemisia

Pets and kids

  • CatsMildly toxic
  • DogsMildly toxic
  • KidsNot sure
Why

Cats: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: essential oils.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea.

Dogs: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: essential oils.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Tarragon: Artemisia dracunculus is common along the trail system near the top of Tablerock and like most herbaceous Artemisia species readily resprouts after fire.
Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Tarragon safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Tarragon safe for cats?

No. Our sources call Tarragon mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: essential oils. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea.

Is Tarragon safe for dogs?

No. Our sources call Tarragon mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: essential oils. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea.

Is Tarragon safe for kids?

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Similar names and close relatives

A shared name doesn't mean a shared answer: check the exact plant.

  • Absinthium Artemisia absinthiumsame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure
  • Common wormwood Artemisia vulgarissame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure

Common names

By language (75)
Afrikaans
Draakplant
Albanian
Terragoni
Arabic
طرخون, الحوذان
Armenian
Թարխուն
arz
طرخون
Asturian
Estragón
azb
ترخون
Azerbaijani
Tərxun
Bangla
তার্খুন
Basque
Binagrera
Belarusian
Эстрагон, Палын эстрагонавы, Тархун
Bosnian
Estragon
Breton
Stragon
Bulgarian
Тарос, Естрагон
Catalan
Estragó
Chinese
龍蒿, 龙蒿, 伊舍根-沙瓦格, 伊舍根-沙里尔日, 椒蒿, 狭叶青蒿, 蛇蒿, 青蒿
Corsican
Arba dragona, Arba dracona
Czech
Estragon, Pelyněk estragon
Danish
Estragon, Esdragon, Fransk Estragon, Russisk Estragon
Dutch
Dragon, Klapperkruid
English
Tarragon
Esperanto
Estragono, Drakunkolo
Estonian
Estragonpuju, Estragon
Finnish
Rakuuna, Dragonia, Maustemaruna, Ranskalainen rakuuna, Venäjänrakuuna, Venäläinen rakuuna
French
Estragon, Estragon français
Galician
Estragón
Georgian
Ტარხუნა
German
Estragon, Deutscher Estragon, Estragonliebstöckel, Französischer Estragon
Greek
Εστραγκόν
gv
Dragane
Hebrew
לענה דרקונית, אסטרגון, טרגון
hsb
Estragon
Hungarian
Tárkony, Esztragon, tárkonyüröm
Indonesian
Tarragon
io
Estragono
Irish
Dragan
Italian
Estragone, Dragoncello o estragone
Japanese
タラゴン, エストラゴン
Kazakh
Şırğaljıñ, Шырғалжың, شىرعالجىڭ, Эстрагон
Korean
타라곤
Kurdish
Tarxûn, تارخوون
Kyrgyz
Шыраалжын шыбак,
Latvian
Estragons, Tarhūns
Lithuanian
Estragonas, Peletrūnas, Vaistinis kietis
Luxembourgish
Estragon
Macedonian
Естрагон
Malay
Taragon
Malayalam
ടർറഗോൺ
mzn
تلخون
Norwegian Bokmål
Estragon
Norwegian Nynorsk
Estragon
Occitan
Estragon
os
Мæзæрæу, Тархун, Эстрагон
pcd
Astragon
Persian
ترخون
Polish
Bylica draganek, Bylica estragon, Bylica głupich, Draganek, Estragon
Portuguese
Estragão
Punjabi
ਤਰਖ਼ੋਨ
Romanian
Tarcăn, Tarhon
Russian
Эстрагон, Полынь эстрагон, Полынь эстрагонная, Тархун
sco
Tarragon
Serbian
Естрагон, Тарагон
sgs
Peletrūns
Slovak
Estragón, Palina dračia
Slovenian
Pehtran, Estragon
Spanish
Estragon, Estragón
Swedish
Dragon
Tatar
Эстрагон
Turkish
Tarhun
Ukrainian
Тархун, Естрагон, Плин естрагон
Urdu
طرخون
Uzbek
Sherolgʻin
Walloon
Dragone
Welsh
Taragon
wuu
龙蒿

Synonyms

  • Achillea dracunculus hort. ex Steud.
  • Artemisia aromatica A.Nelson
  • Artemisia cernua Nutt.
  • Artemisia changaica Krasch.
  • Artemisia dracunculina S.Watson
  • Artemisia dracunculoides Pursh
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. brevifolia Torr. & A.Gray
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. dracunculina (S.Watson) S.F.Blake
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. dracunculoides
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. incana Torr. & A.Gray
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. tenuifolia Torr. & A.Gray
  • Artemisia dracunculoides var. wolfii Rydb.
  • Artemisia dracunculus f. dracunculus
  • Artemisia dracunculus f. humilis Krylov
  • Artemisia dracunculus subsp. dracunculus
  • Artemisia dracunculus subsp. typica H.M.Hall & Clem.
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. dracunculus
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. glauca (Pall. ex Willd.) H.M.Hall & Clem.
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. glauca (Pall. ex Willd.) Besser
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. humilis Krylov
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. pilosa Krasch.
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. pratorum Krasch.
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. redovskyi (Ledeb.) Turcz. ex Ledeb.
  • Artemisia dracunculus var. wolfii Rydb.
  • Artemisia glauca var. cernua Bush
  • Artemisia glauca var. dracunculina (S.Watson) Fernald
  • Artemisia glauca var. dracunculoides (Pursh) Bush
  • Artemisia glauca var. glauca
  • Artemisia glauca var. magacephala B.Boivin
  • Artemisia inodora Hook. & Arn.
  • Artemisia inodora Willd.
  • Artemisia nutans Fras. ex Pursh
  • Artemisia nuttalliana Besser ex Hook.
  • Artemisia nuttalliana Besser
  • Artemisia redowskyi Ledeb.
  • Draconia dracunculus (L.) Soják
  • Draconia glauca (Pall. ex Willd.) Soják
  • Dracunculus esculentus Garsault
  • Oligosporus dracunculinus (S.Watson) Poljakov
  • Oligosporus dracunculoides (Pursh) Poljakov

and 4 more.

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb, Subshrub
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

More in Artemisia

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.