Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Matricaria chamomilla, commonly known as chamomile, Italian camomilla, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile, wild chamomile or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae.
Scientific name: Matricaria chamomilla
Higher classification: Matricaria
(Matricaria recutita) Native to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Chamomile has a very pleasant fragrance and was a popular strewing herb in medieval England. Graceful plants are 12–20" tall with endless masses of 1" attractive daisy-like flowers that can be used to make tea. Annual.
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Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita), packet of 500 seeds, organic
Annual or overwintering annual. This is the delightfully aromatic Chamomile of tea fame. Perfect for gentle bedtime sedation or for treating stomachache. |
This is the famous Chamomile used in making tea, long thought to be a pleasant calming drink. Ever since the Middle Ages, Chamomile Tea has been a worldwide favorite, often used as a relaxation herb. (It's also the national flower of Russia.) The little white daisy-like flowers make your herb garden beautiful and the scent is even better. Also, chamomile is great for soap-making. Chamomile forms a bushy plant with very attractive fern-like foliage. The tea is made from drying the flowers when in full bloom. |
Matricaria recutita. Organic German Chamomile Seeds are CERTIFIED ORGANIC petite daisy-like flowers that nod on a low plant. To better harvest the flowers, it is best grown in a bed by itself. German Chamomile prefers cool weather so sow in early spring and again in late summer. Gather flowers before they fully open. Fresh or dried, use them for a soothing tea or in many medicinal preparations. German Chamomile has a tendency to self sow but is easy to control and does not grow aggressively. It is highly attractive to bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects. The flowers are edible whole or simply with the petals sprinkled over salads. Our organic German Chamomile seeds can be used in xeriscaping as the plants are quite drought tolerant. |
(Matricaria recutita) Beautiful small flowers, makes a relaxing tea with a sweet fruity fragrance, and reputed medicinal value. Attractive plants
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German chamomile is also known as scented mayweed and wild chamomile. It’s a hardy annual with pleasantly scented flowers, and is primarily grown for medicinal use and teas. Follow this handy How to Grow chamomile from seeds and relax. Learn how to grow your own organic chamomile in containers or in your herb garden.
German Chamomile
Latin : Matricaria recutita
Family: Asteraceae
Season: Warm season
Exposure: Full sun
Timing
Sow late March to mid-May either indoors or direct where it is to grow. If starting indoors, be sure to harden seedlings off before they are transplanted. Optimal temperature for germination: 19°C (65°F). Bottom heat speeds germination.
Starting
Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep. Keep moist, and thin or transplant to 10-15cm (4-6″) apart. Seeds should sprout in 10-14 days.
Growing
Chamomile is a fairly adaptable plant, but does best in full sun in well-drained soil. Water well in dry weather, and deadhead thoroughly to prevent self-sowing.
When and Where to Plant: Sow seeds in sandy, well-drained soil, with a little organic matter, in full sun or light shade, as soon as soil can be worked in the Spring. Rich soil will cause poor flower production.
Care: Keep well drained. Keep soil weed free and moist, but not soggy.
Harvesting: Pick flowers in full bloom, on a sunny day. Spread them to dry on a cloth or screen in the sun. Remove leaf and stem pieces. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
Sow seeds indoors on surface of soil. Transplant outdoors in early spring just before last frost. Chamomile prefers well-drained sandy soil and self-sows freely.
Plant prefers full sun and regular garden soil, and cool soils for germination. Sow on surface and press in hard. Sow in early spring for flowers by early summer.
Roman chamomile Vs German Chamomile
Both Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile, formerly Anthemis nobilis) and German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita, formerly Matricaria chamomilla) are low-growing aromatic herbs cultivated for their essential oils and for use in teas, cosmetics and medicine. They have different growing habits and distributions. Roman chamomile, also known as English chamomile, is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. German chamomile is an annual.
Roman ChamomileComing from a creeping rootstock, Roman chamomile grows to 12 inches tall and has hairy stems and finely cut, threadlike, green leaves that have a scent similar to apple and pineapple. Daisy-like flowers grow 1/2 to 1 inch wide, with white petals and a yellow center. Distilled oil from Roman chamomile is clear to pale yellow. Native to the Middle East, southern and western Europe and eastern Africa, Roman chamomile is cultivated in Argentina, England, France, Belgium and the United States. | German ChamomileGerman chamomile is taller, reaching 24 inches, and has hairless stems with threadlike, more sparse and less ferny leaves than Roman chamomile. The plant is less spreading. Flowers are similar but larger -- 1 to 2 inches wide. The yellow center is conical and hollow, smelling also like apple or pineapple when crushed. The essential oil is dark blue. Also known as Hungarian chamomile, the plant is cultivated in Hungary, Egypt, France and eastern Europe. Its native distribution is Europe and northern Asia. |
