A perennial of the Compositae (composite flowers) family, tarragon, also called dragonne or fargon, originated in Central Asia or Eastern Europe (perhaps in Siberia). 
This herb, which likes the sun and partial shade, is one of the most commonly used herbs in France. It is one of the ingredients of numerous sauces, notably béarnaise sauce and ravigote, a highly-seasoned sauce with herbs and shallots. 
 

 The origin of the word tarragon, "dracunculus", means little snake or little dragon which in Arabic was "tarkhoun", later giving the word targon. Arabs used it as an antidote for snake bites and it was they who introduced it in Western Europe around the 13th century. This explains why, in some areas of France, tarragon is called "serpentine". 
 

 Few medicinal virtues were attributed to tarragon, but in the 16th century, it was used for its effect of stimulating the appetite. It was also used as a stimulant for the heart and the stomach.