2025 Herb of the Year: Chamomile
2025 Herb of the Year: Chamomile: Matricaria chamomilla and Chamaemelum nobile
Introduction
We all know of the popular, soothing, caffeine-free tea made from chamomile flowers. But chamomile is much more than tea. So let’s take a look at the rich history and varied uses of the Herb of the Year. The common name "chamomile"1 is used in the names of a number of different plants in the Asteraceae (daisy) family, but it chiefly describes two kinds of chamomiles:
"Roman" or "English" (Chamaemelum nobile, formerly Anthemis nobilis) and "German" or "Hungarian" (Matricaria chamomilla, formerly Matricaria recutita).2 As its Latin binomial name implies, German chamomile is not considered scientifically to be a true chamomile, only chamomile-like, and in fact is sometimes called "false" or "sweet false" chamomile. Both plants have fragrant leaves and small daisy-like flowers with yellow centers and white petals. Both are used to make teas, and are, or have been, used medicinally for a wide variety of ailments. German chamomile is the plant used to make the tea that we drink as a beverage, while Roman chamomile produces a bitter tea, which has suggested medicinal qualities to many people. Because of their similar herbal qualities, both plants have been widely cultivated and used interchangeably. They have also been associated with deities of the sun in ancient religions. In ancient Egypt, chamomile was sacred to the sun god Ra, and was revered over all other herbs: the flowers are depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. It was valued not only as an herb that could heal practically any ailment, but Egyptian nobility used it in their beauty regimens. Chamomile was listed as one of the nine sacred herbs of the Lacnunga, an ancient Anglo-Saxon herb guide. Dioscorides and other ancient Greek physicians prescribed it for a variety of ailments.
Medieval herbalists bred double-flowering varieties to increase the plant's healing parts. Low- growing chamomile plants were also used as lawns throughout Europe and in parts of North America long before traditional turf lawns became popular. The common and true genus names "chamomile" and Chamaemelum derive from Greek words that translate to "earth apple," describing both the habit of the plants to grow along the ground and their characteristic apple-like scent.3 "Nobile" in the species name for Roman chamomile signifies "excellent" in Latin: it refers to a belief that the plant could be used to treat many conditions. The derivation of the genus name Matricaria is uncertain, but widely believed to be another reference to a medicinal use. It derives possibly from the Latin word matrix, for "womb" or "uterus," because of its one-time medical use in treating related ailments.
Roman vs. German Chamomile
Both Roman and German chamomile have delicate, finely divided leaves and tiny daisy-like flowers laden with essential oils. Their appearance is similar, but their growing habits are quite different. Roman chamomile is a perennial, low-growing, and creeping plant that generally grows from 2-6" tall in full sun or part shade, although the flower stems can grow as tall as 12-18"; it spreads by underground stems. It has fine, feathery foliage and single, hairy stems. It is hardy in zones 2 or 3 to 10 or 11, but does not like very hot weather. In contrast, German chamomile is an annual, best grown in zones 2 to 8. It prefers sun, but can tolerate some light shade, and even prefers shade in hotter climates. It is a taller plant than Roman chamomile, growing 12", with flower stems reaching 2-2 1⁄2 feet. The foliage, while still feathery, is more fern-like, and the stems are much-branched. The leaves of Roman chamomile are curlier than those of German. The flowers of the two plants also differ somewhat. German chamomile’s flowers have conical centers that are hollow, which you can see by slicing through their middle. Roman chamomile’s flowers are flatter, have a solid yellow center, and may or may not have white petals (rays). The rays of Roman chamomile’s flowers are more widely spaced than German’s.
There are three common varieties of German chamomile. ‘Bodegold’ has larger flowers and a high level of essential oils. It blooms earlier than some varieties, and the flowers are especially fragrant. ‘Zloty Lan,’ a Polish variety, is a high-yielding, large plant that is less sweet than ‘Bodegold.’ It’s a reliable self-sower, and blooms from mid- to late summer. ‘Gosal‘ contains higher levels of bisabolol, the primary constituent in chamomile’s essential oil, responsible for the characteristic chamomile fragrance.
Cultivation and Harvesting
Both plants are easy to grow from seeds or divisions, and are tough and low-maintenance once established. It’s best to plant the seeds outdoors when the temperature is at least 55° and danger of frost is past. In both plants, the seeds need light to germinate, so just press them lightly into the soil. You can also start seeds indoors 3-4 weeks before planting. Both can also be grown in containers. Roman chamomile prefers light, compost-rich, evenly moist soil. German chamomile will grow in average well-drained soil with dry-to-medium moisture; if your soil is especially moist, plant it in a raised bed. Both prefer a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Despite these preferences, the plants will grow in practically any soil and are not fussy about pH; they just flower best in ideal conditions. Space German chamomile plants 6-8" apart, and Roman chamomile (which spreads) 6-18" apart. Roman chamomile can be cut back in early spring to renew growth. German chamomile self-sows freely, so once you have established plants, leave some flowers to go to seed. Both chamomiles are generally pest- and disease-free. Aphids, thrips, and mealybugs may occasionally attack the plants and are easily controlled.
Although some medicinal preparations and essential oils make use of the entire plant or fresh flowers, the tea and other culinary preparations—and most medicinal preparations—use dried flowers. Carefully pull off the flowers for drying in a cool, dark area when the petals begin to turn back on the disk and the centers brown. Store in airtight containers for up to a year.
Uses
Medicinal
As previously noted, chamomile has been considered a "heal-all" plant for millennia, and is still widely used for medicinal purposes, especially in Europe.4 The dried flowers contain many compounds which may contribute to its medicinal properties. Preparations in addition to the popular tea, include other aqueous infusions, tinctures in alcohol, ointments, lotions, and poultices (the last sometimes mixed with crushed poppy heads). A partial list of conditions that chamomile preparations have been used for in natural and folk medicine includes: a variety of gastrointestinal disorders, various inflammations, menstrual disorders, muscle spasms, various afflictions of the skin and mucous membranes, rheumatic pain, hemorrhoids, toothache, earache, neuralgia, fungal and bacterial disorders, and the common cold. Both plants are also used as a mild tranquilizer or sedative. Vaporized essential oils from the plants are inhaled for anxiety and depression; an aqueous preparation is used for the same purpose. The tea may be used for insomnia. Skin preparations are used as insect repellants.
A number of uses have been studied scientifically. While a few have shown some promise, there have not been any widespread, randomized studies to confirm the efficacy of the various treatments. Nevertheless, both plants are considered safe for most people, including small children. However, in people who are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, and other Asteraceae, chamomile can cause contact dermatitis and, in extreme cases, the life-threatening condition of anaphylaxis and other severe hypersensitivity reactions. People with asthma are advised to avoid it.
Chamomile also has mild blood-thinning qualities, and may increase the risk of bleeding in people who take blood thinners, such as warfarin, although it is generally considered safe in small quantities; because of this quality, chamomile should not be consumed before surgery. Chamomile can also interact with a number of drugs and other supplements.
Culinary
Chamomile can be used to flavor a wide variety of foods, such as biscuits and cookies, candies, cream cheese, custards, fish, fruit, ice cream and popsicles, jams, oatmeal, risotto, and salad dressing. You can also use it in numerous beverages, including fruit drinks, lattes, and smoothies. Try adding it to liqueurs or vermouth. Make a simple syrup to use in cocktails and for other culinary uses. Chamomile is also used to make some wheat beers and ales.
While you can use either type of chamomile in your dishes and beverages, remember that German chamomile has a sweeter, more delicate taste, while Roman chamomile is bitter.
In the Garden
Roman chamomile is hardy and can withstand some light foot traffic. 5 Thus, it has traditionally been used as a groundcover, especially in the UK, planted between stepping stones and even to make entire lawns, although it cannot withstand too much foot traffic. Famously, it is used as a seat cushion in the Queen’s Garden at Kew Gardens. Unfortunately, the plant does not choke out weeds very well, so requires constant weeding.
As companion plants, chamomiles are reputed to be "the plants’ physician" in the belief that they contribute to the health of the plants around them and repel many insect pests. They are said to be especially helpful planted with brassicas and a number of other vegetables, especially blight-prone vegetables, like tomatoes. They are also said to be helpful to plants that are prone to fungal and bacterial infections.
The plants are certainly beneficial because they attract beneficial insects, like honeybees and ladybugs. So the next time you enjoy a cup of chamomile tea, consider why chamomile deserves its place as Herb of the Year 2025!
Endnotes
1 In the UK, pharmaceutical use adheres to the ordinary spelling of "chamomile," but an
alternative spelling, "camomile," persists in popular use.
2 The other plants, such as mayflower (wild chamomile) and yellow or ox-eye chamomile, are
mostly in the Anthemis genus, which used to include the true chamomiles. Chamomile is also
sometimes confused with feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium, formerly Matricaria parthenium and
Chrysanthemum parthenium), although the plants are easily distinguishable by growth habit
(feverfew is upright and bushy), leaves that are markedly different from the fernier chamomile
leaves, and especially by odor.
3 The word may also come from the Greek, for "small apple." In fact, the Spanish word for
chamomile is manzanilla, which means "small apple." Manzanilla sherry is so-called because
its aroma is said to be reminiscent of chamomile.
4 One source says that it is so widely used that "it might be labeled the ‘ginseng’ of Europe."
The Germans purportedly have a phrase for the plant: alles zutraut, "capable of anything." It is
revered so highly in Slovakia that there is a saying that one must bow to the chamomile plant if
one comes across it.
5 As Falstaff famously says in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1: "Harry, I do not only marvel
where thou spendest thy time, but also how thou art accompanied: for though the camomile,
the more it is trodden on the faster it grows, yet youth, the more it is wasted the sooner it
wears."
Chamomile bibliography:
The following are sources used for the article, but they are only the tip of a very large
iceberg. Use this as a starting point for research into your own interests in chamomile:
1. Bardswell, Frances A. The Herb-Garden. Adam & Charles Black, London, 1911.
2. Coon, Nelson. Using Plants for Healing. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA, 1987.
3. Dobelis, Inge N., et al., editors. Magic and Medicine of Plants. The Reader’s Digest
Association, Inc., Pleasantville, NY, 1988.
4. Foster, Gertrude B. and Rosemary F. Louden. Park’s Success With Herbs. Geo. W. Park
Seed Co., Inc., Greenwood, SC, 1980.
5. Graves, George. Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Guide to More Than 180 Plants That Cure
Disease and Relieve Pain. Crescent Books, New York, NY, 1990. An abridged version of the
original, which was first published in 1834 under the title Hortus Medicus.
6. Hedrick, U.P., editor. Sturtevant’s Edible Plants of the World. J.B. Lyon Company, Albany,
NY, 1919. Dover Publications reprint, 1978.
7. Hoffmann, David. The Holistic Herbal, Second Edition. Element Books, Longmead,
Shaftesbury, Dorset, 1989.
8. Knox, Gerald M. Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Gardening. Meredith
Corporation, Des Moines, IA, 1983.
9. Kowalchick, Claire & William H. Hylton, editors. Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.
Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pa., 1987.
10. Lewis, Walter H. & Memory P.F. Elvin-Lewis. Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Man’s
Health. John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, 1977.
11. Ranson, Florence. British Herbs. Penguin Books, Baltimore, MD, 1954.
12. Tyler, Varro E., Ph.D., Lynn R. Brady, Ph.D., and James E. Robbers, Ph.D.
Pharmacognosy, Ninth Ed. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, PA, 1988.
13. Tyler, Varro E, Ph.D. The New Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and
Related Remedies. George F. Stickley Company, Philadelphia, PA, 1987.
14. Wheelwright, Edith Grey. Medicinal Plants and Their History. Houghton Mifflin Company,
Boston & New York, 1935, under the title The Physick Garden: Medicinal Plants and their
History. Republished by Dover Publications, New York, NY, 1974.
Internet Articles, accessed on various dates in March 2024:
15. 23 Ways to Use Chamomile.
https://theherbalacademy.com/blog/23-ways-to-use-chamomile
16. All About Chamomile Plant History.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/tbt/chamomile-plant-history
17. Botanical terms (calflora.net).
https://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/botanicalterms.html
18. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
19. Chamomile: An Edible Flower with Infinite Uses in the Kitchen! - La Cucina Italiana.
https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/italian-food/how-to-cook/chamomile-flower-in-kitchen?
20. Chamomile: Benefits and Side Effects.
https://webmd.com/diet/supplement-guide-chamomile
21. Chamomile - Chamaemelum nobile.
https://www.kew.org/plants/chamomile
22. Chamomile Companion Planting Guide: 4 Plants to Pair With Chamomile.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chamomile-companion-planting-guide
23. chamomile | Craft Beer & Brewing
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/
24. Chamaemelum nobile (Wikipedia).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaemelum_nobile
25. Chamomile Simple Syrup Recipe (nytimes.com—paywall).
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022136-
chamomile-simple-syrup
26. Chamomile (Wikipedia).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamomile
27. Companions For Chamomile - Learn About Companion Planting With Chamomile.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/chamomile/chamomile-plant-
companions.htm
28. Companion Plants For Chamomile and What Not To Plant With Chamomile.
https://thebackyardbloom.com/companion-plants-for-chamomile/
29. Cooking With Chamomile: The Dos And Don'ts. https://spiceography.com/cooking-with-
chamomile/
30. English Or German Chamomile: Distinguishing Different Chamomile Types.
https://gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/chamomile/roman-vs-german-chamomile.htm
31. Formulator’s guide to chamomile: a tale of two herbs.
https://formulabotanica.com/differences-roman-german-
chamomile/
32. German vs. Roman Chamomile - The Differences in Habit, Form, and Use.
https://howtoculinaryherbgarden.com/german-vs-roman-chamomile/
33. How to Grow and Care For Chamomile. https://thespruce.com/how-to-grow-chamomile-
1402627
34. How To Grow Chamomile From Seed - Guide To Planting Chamomile Seeds.
https://gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/chamomile/planting-chamomile-seeds.htm
35. How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Chamomile. https://harvesttotable.com/how-to-grow-
chamomile/
36. "Introduction to Chamomile": CRCPRESSChamomile-Section_1.5978-1-4665-7759-
6.pdf;jsessionid=00000000.app20053b (herbalgram.org)
37. Manzanilla wine (Wikipedia).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanilla_(wine)
38. Matricaria chamomilla (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matricaria_chamomilla
39. Matricaria recutita
https://missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277347
40. Types of chamomile: how to tell types of chamomile species and varieties apart.
https://plantura.garden/uk/herbs/chamomile/types-of-chamomile
