A herb of the genus Artemesia in the aster family (Asteraceae) that is used as a spice. Tarragon is often divided into French and Russian types. French tarragon can be distinguished by its highly aromatic leaves, low seed set or fertility, and compact growth habit. Due to its long history of vegetative propagation to preserve its fine scent characteristics, French tarragon has all but lost its ability to form viable seeds. Russian tarragon does produce seeds, but the plant is much lower in overall oil content and is not as fine-scented.