Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Chamomile is a daisy-like aromatic herb famous for its apple-scented flowers, used worldwide to make a soothing herbal tea.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade
- Water
- Moderate; tolerates some dryness
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Chamomile refers to a couple of closely related daisy-family herbs grown for their small, fragrant white-and-yellow flowers. The most common is German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), an annual, while Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a low-growing perennial.
Both are prized for their delicate apple-like scent and their long history as a calming herbal tea. German chamomile is taller and self-seeds readily, making it a cheerful, easy garden plant.
Chamomile is also a classic cottage-garden and pollinator plant, attracting bees and beneficial insects.
How to identify it
Chamomile is recognized by its dainty daisy flowers and feathery foliage.
- Flowers: Small (about 2 cm) with white petals (ray florets) around a raised, hollow, golden-yellow center; the domed center distinguishes German chamomile
- Leaves: Finely divided, feathery, light green and aromatic when crushed
- Height: German chamomile reaches 20-60 cm; Roman chamomile is a low mat 10-30 cm tall
- Scent: Crushed foliage and flowers smell sweetly of apple
- Habit: Upright and branching (German) or creeping and mat-forming (Roman)
Care & growing
Chamomile is undemanding and thrives in poorer soils.
- Light: Full sun is best; tolerates light shade
- Water: Moderate watering; established plants are fairly drought tolerant
- Soil: Light, well-drained soil; tolerates poor and sandy ground
- Temperature: Cool-tolerant; German chamomile is a hardy annual that self-sows
- Feeding: Little needed; excess fertilizer reduces flowering
- Propagation: German chamomile from seed sown on the surface (it needs light to germinate); Roman chamomile by seed or division. Harvest flowers when fully open and dry them for tea.
Habitat & origin
German chamomile is native to Europe and western Asia and has naturalized widely in temperate regions, including North America, often in fields, roadsides and disturbed ground. Roman chamomile is native to western Europe.
Both are grown in herb gardens, cottage gardens and on a commercial scale for the herbal tea and essential oil industries. Roman chamomile is also planted as a fragrant, low lawn or pathway groundcover.
Uses & benefits
Chamomile is best known as a soothing herbal infusion.
- Culinary/Beverage: Dried flowers brewed into a mild, calming tea
- Medicinal (traditional): Used for relaxation, sleep, digestion and as a mild anti-inflammatory; contains compounds like apigenin and bisabolol
- Cosmetic: Chamomile extract and essential oil appear in skincare, shampoos and hair rinses
- Ecological: Flowers attract bees, hoverflies and other beneficial pollinators
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between German and Roman chamomile?
German chamomile is a taller annual with a hollow domed flower center, while Roman chamomile is a low, mat-forming perennial. Both are used for tea, but German is the most common for infusions.
Which part of chamomile is used for tea?
The flowers. Harvest them when fully open, dry them thoroughly, and steep in hot water for a mild, apple-scented infusion.
Is chamomile easy to grow?
Yes. It thrives in full sun and even poor soil, needs little feeding, and German chamomile self-seeds freely once established.
Can chamomile cause allergies?
People allergic to ragweed, daisies or related plants in the Asteraceae family may react to chamomile, so it should be used with caution by those individuals.
Chamomile guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Chamomile.
