How to Grow Chamomile
'German' (Matricaria chamomilla) from Seed
The earth-apple herb — masses of small white daisy flowers with golden domed centres releasing the sweet apple fragrance that gives chamomile its Greek name, the world's most widely drunk herbal tea, and one of the most effective companion plants in any kitchen garden
The word chamomile comes from the Greek chamaimēlon — chamai meaning "on the ground" and mēlon meaning "apple" — earth apple, named for the warm, sweet, apple-like scent released when the feathery foliage or the flowers are bruised or crushed. This is a scent that appears in no other plant in exactly the same way: unmistakably floral, unmistakably herbal, and immediately recognisable to anyone who has ever made a cup of chamomile tea from dried flowers. Growing your own chamomile and making tea from fresh-picked, oven-dried flowers produces an infusion of noticeably superior quality to any commercially produced product — the essential oils that carry the characteristic apple-like aroma are more intact, the flavour is cleaner, and the calming effect (attributed primarily to the bioflavonoid apigenin, which binds to the same neurological receptors as some anti-anxiety compounds) is apparently more pronounced in properly dried, freshly used flowers.
Beyond its tea credentials, German chamomile is an outstanding companion plant — historically called the "doctor plant" or "physician plant" in German-speaking countries for its reputed ability to improve the growth and health of neighbouring plants. Modern companion planting research has confirmed several mechanisms for this: chamomile root exudates modify soil chemistry in ways that benefit nearby plants, the flowers attract hoverflies and other beneficial predatory insects that control aphid populations, and the generally bee-friendly character of the plant improves pollination rates across the surrounding garden.
Quick Facts at a Glance
Plant Type
Hardy Annual (H4)
Sowing Time
Mar–May direct · Sep for early spring blooms
Flowering
May – September
Position
Full sun; any well-drained soil
Height
30–50cm; feathery spreading habit
Difficulty Rating
1 out of 5 — Very Easy
Understanding the Plant
Matricaria chamomilla (also classified as M. recutita) is the German chamomile — annual, self-seeding, and the primary source of commercial chamomile tea worldwide. It is distinct from Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile), which is a perennial with a lower-growing habit and slightly different chemical profile. The German is taller (30–50cm), more upright, more productive in flower yield, and more widely used medicinally and commercially. It is the chamomile of teabags, the chamomile of herbalist dispensaries, and the chamomile of ancient Egyptian medical texts.
The flowers are botanically composite daisies — each "flower" is a disc of small yellow tubular flowers surrounded by white ray florets. A key identifying characteristic: if you cut a chamomile flowerhead in half, the receptacle (the central dome where the disc flowers sit) is hollow inside. This distinguishes true German chamomile from several lookalike weeds that lack both the hollow receptacle and the characteristic apple scent.
Germination Needs Light — Surface Sow
Chamomile seeds are extremely small and photoblastic — they require light to germinate. Surface scatter seeds onto moist compost or prepared soil without covering. Press gently for good soil contact. Do not rake soil over them. In the open garden, scatter seeds over a finely raked seedbed and firm with the back of a rake — the seeds will sit on the surface but be in contact with the soil. Keep moist until germination, which takes 7–14 days. Covering seeds prevents germination entirely.
The "Doctor Plant" Companion
In German-speaking countries, chamomile has been called Alles zutraut ("capable of everything") and "the doctor plant" — a reflection of its reputation for improving the growth and health of neighbouring plants. It is traditionally interplanted with brassicas (to repel aphids), with onions and leeks (to improve bulb development), and with sluggish or sickly plants of many kinds. Whether or not the specific companion planting claims are fully supported by controlled research, chamomile's contribution of pollinating insects, beneficial hoverflies, and the modification of soil microclimate around its feathery foliage is genuinely measurable.
Sowing & Establishment
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Surface scatter seeds from March to May in full sun. Rake the bed to a fine tilth. Scatter seeds thinly on the surface — do not cover. Firm gently. Water with a fine rose. Germination in 7–14 days. Thin to 20cm spacing when seedlings are 5cm tall. Alternatively, scatter into a container of moist multipurpose compost and press the seeds in without covering.
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Autumn sowing (September) for the earliest spring flowers. Scatter on the surface in a sheltered position in September. Seeds germinate within weeks and establish as compact, feathery rosettes through winter. These plants begin flowering from April, several weeks before spring-sown equivalents.
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Grow in any soil in full sun. Chamomile is not fussy about soil — it grows in poor, average and moderately rich ground. The most aromatic plants with the highest essential oil content grow in relatively lean, well-drained conditions. In very rich, heavily manured soil, plants tend to produce more leaf than flower.
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Allow self-seeding for a permanent colony. Chamomile self-seeds profusely — one plant can produce hundreds of seeds. Allow some plants to set seed fully and the following year's colony will establish spontaneously. In a kitchen garden or herb bed, a self-sustaining chamomile colony requires no further seed purchase or sowing effort.
Growing On, Harvesting & Tea-Making
Harvest Flowers at the Right Moment
Harvest for tea when the white petals are fully reflexed — that is, when they have folded back from the yellow dome, pointing downward rather than outward. At this stage, the essential oil content of the flower is at its maximum. Earlier, when the petals are still horizontal, the oil concentration is lower; later, when the petals begin to wilt, quality deteriorates. Pick by hand — a gentle pinch and twist — on a dry day, mid-morning.
Drying Flowers
Spread flowers in a single layer on a baking tray lined with parchment. Dry at 40–50°C (just below the smell-threshold for burning) for two to three hours, or dry at room temperature on a rack in a warm, ventilated space for one to two weeks. Dried flowers should be crumbly and fully dry before storage. Store in an airtight glass jar out of direct light — will keep for twelve months at full potency.
Second Flush — Cut Back
After the first main flush of flowers in June–July, cut plants back by one third and water well. New growth and a second flush of flowers typically follows within three to four weeks. This extends the harvesting season and the garden display through August and September.
Pollinator Value
The flat, open flower structure of chamomile is particularly accessible to small bees, hoverflies, and other short-tongued pollinators. Hoverflies attracted to chamomile are among the most effective aphid predators in the garden — their larvae consume aphid colonies. A chamomile patch near the vegetable garden supports an effective biological pest control system.
Companion Planting Positions
Interplant with brassicas (especially cabbage, kale and broccoli) where it repels aphids and white butterfly. Grow near onions and leeks — chamomile root exudates are said to improve bulb development and flavour. In the herb garden, chamomile improves the vigour of nearby mint, basil and dill when grown within one to two metres.
Self-Seeding Management
Chamomile self-seeds so prolifically that it can become weedy in a tidy garden. If unwanted spread is a concern, deadhead rigorously and remove all seed heads before they ripen. In a herb garden or kitchen garden context, the self-seeding is a feature rather than a problem — chamomile finds and fills the cracks in paths, the edges of beds, and the gaps between established plants with a naturalness that is genuinely charming.
Making Chamomile Tea from Your Own Garden
Fresh flower tea: Place two to three large pinches of freshly picked chamomile flowers (approximately two tablespoons) in a mug. Pour water that has just boiled and been allowed to cool for one minute (90–95°C). Cover the mug with a saucer to prevent the volatile oils from escaping with the steam. Steep for five to ten minutes. Remove the saucer and strain. The fresh flower tea has a more intense, grassier quality than dried — sweeter and more green, with the apple scent more pronounced.
Dried flower tea: Use two teaspoons of dried flowers per cup. Pour 90–95°C water (just off the boil). Cover and steep for ten to fifteen minutes for maximum oil extraction. The prolonged steeping of dried flowers releases more of the apigenin and bisabolol compounds responsible for the calming and anti-inflammatory effects. Strain and add honey if desired.
On apigenin: The primary bioactive compound in chamomile responsible for its mild calming effect is apigenin — a bioflavonoid that binds to the same GABA receptors in the brain as some anti-anxiety medications, producing a mild sedative and anxiolytic effect without dependency or strong sedation. This is the compound that makes chamomile tea genuinely (mildly) calming rather than simply warm and pleasant. Home-grown, properly dried chamomile retains significantly more apigenin than commercial teabag products.
Note: Chamomile is related to ragweed and may cause reactions in individuals with ragweed allergies. Those taking anticoagulant medications should consult their doctor before regular chamomile consumption, as it may have mild blood-thinning effects.
Common Problems & Solutions
| Problem | Likely Cause | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| No germination | Seeds covered; too cold | Chamomile seed needs light — surface scatter only, do not cover. Germination below 10°C is very slow. If sowing in March, warm the area with a cloche for two weeks before scattering seed. Germination from April onwards is much more reliable without any additional protection. |
| Lots of leaves, few flowers | Too rich soil; too much shade | Chamomile flowers best in average to lean soil in full sun. Rich, heavily composted soil produces leafy, less-flowering plants. Move to a sunnier position. Do not add fertiliser. |
| Plants smell very faintly | Wrong species; poor growing conditions | The scent should be immediately detectable when the foliage is crushed. If the aroma is very faint, check the plant is German chamomile (feathery foliage, hollow receptacle when flower is cut) rather than a lookalike weed. Plants grown in full sun in lean soil produce more essential oil and a more intense scent than those in shade or rich ground. |
| Aphids on growing tips | Common in early season | Remove by hand or with a jet of water. The hoverflies attracted to chamomile flowers will provide biological control of aphids — a chamomile plant hosting hoverflies is effectively managing nearby aphid populations. Chamomile usually outgrows minor aphid damage quickly. |
Plant Specifications
The earth-apple herb — for the cup, the garden, and the bees
German chamomile earns space in any kitchen garden three times over: as a tea herb producing home-grown dried flowers of noticeably superior quality to commercial products; as a companion plant that measurably improves the growth of nearby vegetables and attracts the hoverflies that control aphids; and as a garden ornamental producing masses of delicate white daisies with their unmistakable apple scent from May to September. Scatter seeds on the surface in spring, let them self-seed in subsequent years, and let the gentle, medicinal, apple-scented colony establish itself permanently.
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