Thyme or tarragon? I'm not sure.
 

Last year, I decided a bit too late in the season to grow some herbs other than basil. I grabbed some window boxes, tossed in some seeds, and waited. Long story short, I don't think I planted enough seeds, because there wasn't really enough to harvest. I chalked it up to an experiment, was happy things grew at all, and figured I'd do better this year.

I was cleaning out the window boxes yesterday and found that a third of one of them was FULL of roots (the entire chunk of soil lifted out of the box). Just as I was getting ready to pull it all up and toss it, I noticed some tiny green and red shoots sticking up.

Before I noticed what I'm assuming is new growth, I pulled out the old seed packet markers and just tossed them to the side, so I have no idea if this is thyme or tarragon. i also pulled out some old stems, which are about 16 inches tall that have "shoots" coming off of them that are about an inch long. Based on that, and looking online, I think it might be tarragon, but I can't be sure.

I took a picture of the new growth , if it is actually new growth, just in case someone here is awesome and could tell what it might be based on that. If it is growing, should I transplant it into its own pot? The area with the roots is about 6x6 inches and, while I didn't pull it all the way out of the box, I suspect it might be rootbound.

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/asm198/1%20garden%202015/P1090243_zpsztprr0dr.jpg[/IMG]

Hmm, I haven't grown tarragon but I've grown a lot of thyme and that doesn't look like thyme to me. I think your guess is correct but time will tell. Enjoy it, whatever it is!:)

I dont know tarragon, but it doesnt look like thyme to me.

This is Tarragon. It keeps going in my yard. It's about 8 years old. Its the plant centered in front of the black pot, not the weed at the right.

Based on what everyone has said, and that picture, I'm pretty sure it's tarragon! I'll be sure to mark it properly this year!

Thanks everyone!

Russian Tarragon is like a weed, I still can't get totally rid of it a decade later.
I agree it doesn't look like Thyme but who knows, grow it our and you'll be able to tell pretty quick.

Ray, I think I planted Russian Tarragon, so I'm glad I did it in a pot. I prefer having all my herbs in pots, both so I can contain anything that might take over and so I can move them around. I do think I'll stick it in its own pot, so I can use the planter its currently in for something else.

Of course, now I'm reading that French Tarragon is preferable to the Russian variety?

[QUOTE=splash79;457090]Ray, I think I planted Russian Tarragon, so I'm glad I did it in a pot. I prefer having all my herbs in pots, both so I can contain anything that might take over and so I can move them around. I do think I'll stick it in its own pot, so I can use the planter its currently in for something else.

Of course, now I'm reading that French Tarragon is preferable to the Russian variety?[/QUOTE]

Ya, the Russian Tarragon is no substitute for the French.

Tarragon, for sure
Smell it, taste it, you'll see that

My Fav is any Tarragon and Basil. Tarragon is so hard to grow to me, very slow. Also any this Basil is loved in our house.

It might be Tarragon, but the Russian stuff, as I don't believe there are French Tarragon seeds available. It's normal to grow the French from cuttings.

[QUOTE=beeman;457220]It might be Tarragon, but the Russian stuff, as I don't believe there are French Tarragon seeds available. It's normal to grow the French from cuttings.[/QUOTE]

I'd agree with this. My French tarragon has been growing for about 12 years now, comes up reliably in spite of the occasional sudden early freeze, or too hot of a summer, and whatever else Ma Nature throws at it. When it outgrows its space and tries to invade the chives, I mercilessly dig out about 2/3's of it, throw some leaf mulch over it and forget it, until it's time for Tarragon Chicken salad.

I had no idea there was different tarragons.
Then I started looking to see which one I had in my spices it is the french tarragon,[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Artemisia dracunculus[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][B].
[/B]The Russian is,[FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Artemisia dracunculoides Pursch[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

Then here in Texas of we have our own substitute that is all so often here with plants. [FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial][FONT=Arial]Mexican Marigold Mint (Tagetes lucida)

Here is a link I found about the three.
[URL="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Faggie-horticulture.tamu.edu%2Fnewsletters%2Fhortupdate%2F2009%2Fjan09%2FTarragon.html&ei=XpEFVeewLca-ggSEsoHYBw&usg=AFQjCNEYrQnBYbXZov_LFmfF6vM5ZlF9mA&bvm=bv.88198703,d.eXY&cad=rja"]http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Faggie-horticulture.tamu.edu%2Fnewsletters%2Fhortupdate%2F2009%2Fjan09%2FTarragon.html&ei=XpEFVeewLca-ggSEsoHYBw&usg=AFQjCNEYrQnBYbXZov_LFmfF6vM5ZlF9mA&bvm=bv.88198703,d.eXY&cad=rja[/URL]
I like to use it in chicken and dumplings.

Worth

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The French Tarragon has to be grown from cuttings - no seed.

I bought a jar of something labeled "Tarragon" awhile back that was definitely NOT French Tarragon. It stunk. It was really skunky, and it tasted awful. Really nasty stuff. Dropped the whole jar directly into the trash. Ordered a new batch from Penzey's. I use too much of the stuff to rely on the tiny little Spice Island jars for $6 a pop, LOL!

I suspect it wasn't even the Russian Tarragon, but may have been the "Mexican" version. Whatever it was, awful, awful stuff. I'd like to grow French Tarragon, but until I'm settled there doesn't seem a lot of point in it, given its not something I can just grow from seed and then not feel bad at abandoning it.