Long Island Gardening Community Resource

In my Long Island Garden, I planted German Chamomile (back in 2004) and it has come back every year since then, in different places. It’s great! I allow them to grow where I want and pull the rest up. They are always one of the first garden herbs to show up at the end of winter, popping their cute little leaves out and saying “I have arrived!” For me, they grow into huge bushes that yield great harvests throughout the early summer. I love going out into the garden to smell the scented flowers. They smell just like apples! and every year, I get feelings of amazement and wonder and appreciation for this plant.

As the flowers start to show, I start to pick. From the time I start picking the little flowers, the plant starts producing more flowers, and the cycle continues until I am surrounded with chamomile flowers and am running out of space in front of my window to dry them. The way to pick them, run your fingers from the leafy parts up the stems until you hit the flowers and snap them off right into your hand. It is not uncommon to get 7-10 flowers in one lift. Dry them out in front of a sunny window (for about a week or so) and place them in a bag or closed container to be used as one of the best tea ingredients you will ever have. Some of the “fallen soldier flowers” that fall back into the ground are sure to turn into brother and sister plants next year. Each flower head (the yellow center) holds at least 50, maybe a hundred little seeds.

I use it at night before bed as a very relaxing tea. It is great mixed with most herbs. I love mint chamomile tea (maybe with some ginger and licorice root) for a good digestion tea. One of my other favorite uses for chamomile is for cosmetic purposes. I like to (maybe once a month) take a facial steam bath (that’s my name for it) by taking boiling water, pouring it into a big pot that is filled with an herbal concoction based around chamomile (other ingredients - lavender, wintergreen, rosemary, eucalyptus, and anything else you feel like) and fill up the pot 3-6 inches with water. Wait about 2-5 minutes so the water doesn’t burn. Take a towel, drape it over your head and position your face over the pot. Make sure the towel surrounds the pot so it keeps the heat in. However, if its too hot, you can use the towel to let some air out until you reached a comfortable temperature. I like to sit there for as long as necessary, allowing all the impurities sweat right out of the pores. Another thing I notice about doing this, well, this might sound a little strange, but it works for me. I bite my teeth together, and breath in through my teeth and out through my teeth, and this hot water vapor does something good to my gums and teeth. I do not know what it does, but it always feels like I needed to do it. After you are done, wash your face with warm water to get all the impurities off the skin so they do not re-absorb.

Some detailed growing information and links about chamomile:

German Chamomile, Scented Mayweed (info from Dave’s Garden)
Matricaria recutita

Family: Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ay) (Info)
Genus: Matricaria (mat-ri-KAR-ee-uh) (Info)
Species: recutita (re-KOO-tee-ta) (Info)

Synonym:Chamomilla recutita
Synonym:Matricaria chamomilla
Synonym:Matricaria chamomilla var. coronata
Synonym:Matricaria suaveolens

Category:
Annuals
Herbs

Height:
6-12 in. (15-30 cm)

Spacing:
6-9 in. (15-22 cm)

Hardiness:
Not Applicable

Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade

Danger:
Pollen may cause allergic reaction

Bloom Color:
White/Near White

Bloom Time:
Mid Spring

Foliage:
Aromatic

Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Flowers are fragrant
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season

Soil pH requirements:
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)

Propagation Methods:
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
From seed; direct sow after last frost

Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds

Organic Seed Sources:

Me - If I have some (which I usually do) I will gladly give some to you.

Seeds of Change

Chamomile Links:

Botanical.Com’s Varieties of Chamomile

Wikipedia - German Chamomile

Garden Guide - German Chamomile Plant Information