German Chamomile has been cultivated as a medicinal herb for thousands of years and was used by ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Vikings. An easy care annual in the daisy family, it has small white flowers with large yellow hollow cone centers that proliferate on a bushy shrub of feathery foliage. Only the sweet apple-scented flowers are used fresh or dried, usually steeped into a soothing herbal tea that can be used as a facial tonic or sipped by kids and adults right before it’s time to go night-night.

As a companion plant, it attracts pollinators and beneficial insects; repels cabbage moths, cabbage white fly, cabbage worms, cucumber beetles, and mosquitoes; and is said to increase the fragrance and flavor of aromatic herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Roman Chamomile has many of the same uses, but is a low-growing, evergreen perennial groundcover with fewer, but larger flowers. You can determine which type of Chamomile you have if you cut open the yellow center of the flower. Roman has solid centers while German has hollow ones.

As a medicinal herb, Chamomile has been used internally to treat allergies, anxiety, arthritis, asthma, colds, colic, cough, flatulence, gum disease, headache, indigestion, inflammation, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), menstrual cramps, morning sickness, stress, nervousness, restlessness, and stomach upset, and externally to treat burns, earache, hemorrhoids, mouth sores, skin problems, sunburns, teething pain, tired eyes, toothache, and wounds.

⚠️ Do not handle or ingest if you are allergic to ragweed.

⚠️ Medicinal properties are presented as information only, and are not a recommendation or prescription for use. Consult a medical professional before using any herb medicinally.

• Abundant blossoms
• Apple fragrance
• Grows 2'-3' tall
• Good for containers

SEED PLANTING TIPS

• Botanical name: Matricaria chamomilla
• Life cycle: Herbaceous annual
• Hardiness zones: 4-9
• Planting season: Spring, fall
• Days to maturity: 55-70 days
• Depth to plant seeds: Lightly cover - seeds need light to germinate
• Days to germinate (sprout): 7-21 days
• Germination soil temps: 55F-75F
• Spacing between plants: 12"-18" apart
• Spacing between rows: 18"-24" apart
• # of plants per sq. ft.: Appx. 1 plant per sq. ft.
• Soil types: Sandy, loamy, silty, shallow, poor, rich, moist, well-drained
• Soil pH: 5.0-7.5
• Sun needs: Full sun, part shade
• Water needs: Low - do not overwater
• Cold stratify: Yes
• Frost tolerant: Yes
• Heat tolerant: Yes
• Drought tolerant: Yes
• Deer resistant: Yes
• Culinary use: No
• Medicinal use: Yes

Good companion plants: Basil, Bean, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chives, Collards, Cucumber, Fava Bean, Garlic, Hyssop, Kale, Lavender, Marigold, Mint, Mustard, Onion, Oregano, Pepper, Parsley, Rosemary, Soybean, Sage, Thyme, Squash, Tomato, Zucchini

More facts about Chamomile:

• Chamomile helps combat headaches, toothaches, and earaches.
• Sometimes known as "the plant doctor", because it is thought to help the growth and health of many other plants, especially ones that produce essential oils.
• Thought to increase production of those oils, making certain herbs, like mints (spearmint, sage, oregano) and basil stronger in scent and flavor.
• Can be taken as a herbal tea, two teaspoons of dried flower per cup of tea, which should be steeped for ten to fifteen minutes while covered to avoid evaporation of the volatile oils. 

 

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