Tanacetum vulgare
Tansy
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 50 cm, rows 60 cm
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Sowing
- Apr–May
- Harvest
- Jul–Sep
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −28 °C
- Water need
- Low
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Lienhard Schulz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) blooms in late summer with bright yellow, knob‑shaped flower heads. It is valued in gardens as a natural plant tonic; its leaves can be used to prepare a liquid or brew to combat aphids and mites. The plant contains thujone and is not suitable for consumption.
Care instructions
Plant tansy in a sunny spot with relatively poor soil, otherwise it will grow aggressively over its rhizomes. Water only during prolonged dry periods. Cut it back close to the ground in late autumn. Harvest the leaves for liquid preparations between July and September. If you wish to keep it in a bed, confine it with a root barrier.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingApr–May
HarvestJul–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 10 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 14 to 28 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, sandy, humus-rich, well-drained, moist
Tansy likes humus-rich, moderately fresh soils that are well drained and do not become waterlogged; loamy-sandy mixed soils are ideal. Lean to average nutrient-rich soil is quite enough; on soil that is too rich it grows more vigorously and spreads aggressively by runners.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In early spring a thin layer of compost, worked in shallowly around the perennial, is enough. That lasts the whole season. On nutrient-rich garden soil you do not need to give anything at all. Avoid nitrogen-rich feeds, otherwise tansy quickly grows lanky and loses aroma.
Overwintering
Tansy is a native, very robust perennial and gets through winters in the lowlands of Germany, Austria and Switzerland without any protection. Leave the dead shoots standing over winter, as they give insects shelter, and cut them back close to the ground only in early spring before new growth.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
- Division
- Cuttings
Tansy is easiest to propagate by division: in spring (March to April) or autumn, dig up a strong rootstock with a spade, divide it into sections each with several shoots and roots, and plant the pieces straight away in their new site. Since tansy spreads strongly by underground rhizome runners, plenty of propagation pieces turn up anyway when you keep it in check. For sowing, sow the fine seeds directly outdoors in autumn or early spring; the seeds need light to germinate and should only be pressed down lightly, not covered. A cold period over winter (autumn sowing) can improve germination. In Central European climates tansy also self-seeds easily by itself. Cuttings work from May to June: cut soft shoot tips 8 to 12 cm long just below a leaf node, remove the lower leaves and insert them in moist seed compost. Keep the cuttings evenly moist and bright, but out of full sun. After 3 to 4 weeks they are rooted and can be planted out. Important: tansy spreads quickly. Contain the site from the start with a rhizome barrier at least 60 cm deep, or remove faded flower heads before the seeds ripen so that it does not self-seed uncontrollably.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow Tansy yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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