Medicinal Chamomile in the Garden

In short: German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is an easy annual that grows 15–50 cm tall in a sunny spot with well-drained, not over-fertilised soil. Sow it in autumn (mid-August to mid-September) or in March–April without covering the seeds. Harvest the flowers 3–5 days after they open and dry them at up to 40 °C.

German Chamomile (Latin: Matricaria recutita) or also Medicinal Chamomile is a medicinal plant from the Asteraceae (Latin: Asteraceae) family. Previously, in Latin terminology, chamomile was designated as Chamomilla. Common names for German chamomile include fragrant mayweed, camomile, wild chamomile, or little sun. German chamomile is widely distributed, growing in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. As a medicinal plant, it is also cultivated in North Africa and South America.

Don't Be Fooled by Chamomile Substitutes

German chamomile is very similar to Roman chamomile (Latin: Anthemis nobilis) and corn chamomile (Latin: Anthemis arvensis). Roman chamomile is a low-growing, very rapidly spreading perennial whose flowers lack the characteristic chamomile fragrance. Roman chamomile can even be used as a lawn substitute because it can quickly cover larger areas. Don't overdo it with the extent of a chamomile lawn, as it's quite demanding to maintain and keep weed-free. The main difference between German chamomile and corn chamomile is in the flower. Unlike German chamomile, corn chamomile doesn't have a hollow receptacle.

German chamomile grows to a height of 15-50 cm. The stem is erect and branched. The leaves grow alternately on the stem and are 2 or 3 times pinnate. The flower heads consist of ray-like arranged white petals and a yellow flower receptacle, which is hollow. The fruit of German chamomile is a very small achene.

Growing German Chamomile

Growing German chamomile is simple. It easily adapts to various climatic conditions, thriving best in warmer locations that are protected from wind. It does well in lighter calcareous soils with plenty of humus. It will struggle in excessively wet or overly dry soil, and doesn't particularly like overly acidic, purely sandy or stony soil either. Sowing can be done in autumn or spring. With autumn sowing, only a small leaf rosette overwinters. Early in spring, the chamomile begins to grow rapidly and flowers as early as late May, with fairly high yields from individual plants. Sowing can also be done in spring, though the flowering time will be delayed somewhat. Yields from spring sowings are slightly lower, but the difference is not significant. The ideal time for autumn sowing is from mid-August to mid-September. If there is sufficient warmth and rainfall during this period, chamomile germinates very quickly and manages to root well and grow to sufficient size before the first major frosts. Spring sowing is carried out during March - April. The earlier, the better. Sow directly into moist soil. Even after sowing, the soil must be kept constantly moist. When sowing, also take into account that once you plant chamomile in a location, it will grow there permanently, because you'll never manage to harvest all the flowers from which seeds form and these will self-seed. With self-seeding, the seeds don't cover themselves with soil, so don't cover them with soil during regular sowing either. Sow German chamomile seeds in rows about 15 cm apart or in clusters. Keep the chamomile bed weed-free so that weeds don't crowd out the slowly growing chamomile.

Harvesting and Storing Chamomile

The harvested part of chamomile is its flowers, which are collected in dry weather, ideally 3 - 5 days after the flower heads open. At this time, the flowers are fully open but not yet faded. Pick the flowers with stems no longer than 2 cm. Chamomile flowers should be dried as quickly as possible at temperatures up to 40 °C. Store dried chamomile flowers in a dry and cool place.

Healing Properties of Chamomile

The Angles and Saxons valued chamomile for its healing properties. They considered it one of nine sacred herbs given by the god Odin to heal the world. To this day, chamomile is widely used in folk medicine. Chamomile is used to prepare decoctions, compresses, ointments, and various tinctures. Chamomile is highly valued especially for its high content of blue oil, which wild-growing chamomiles contain around 1.5%, while cultivated varieties can contain up to 3%. The main components of blue oil are chamazulene, bisabolol, farnesene, flavone glycosides, bitter substances, and others. Chamomile has healing effects, relieves spasms, increases perspiration, and acts as an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant. Tea made from chamomile flowers is beneficial to drink for bloating, stomach problems and colic, for coughs, and is also helpful for colds, various inflammations. For women, it relieves painful menstruation or menstrual disorders. Internal use of chamomile has a positive effect on the nervous system. Compresses and baths with chamomile help treat skin rashes, hemorrhoids, burns, and additionally help prevent scar formation. Applying a compress to an inflamed area has almost miraculous effects, healing occurs very quickly and effectively. Compresses are most commonly applied to poorly healing wounds. For eyes, prepared pads are applied for conjunctivitis or when treating a stye. Another use is gargling with chamomile for oral cavity inflammations and chronic inflammation of the tonsils and larynx. Chamomile therefore has a wide range of uses and, unlike some conventional medicines (tablets), is not addictive. When used in normal doses, there are no problems. When consuming very high amounts of chamomile, nausea and gagging may occur. People with allergies should be careful with chamomile, because on one hand chamomile acts anti-allergically, but on the other hand it is also an allergen.

Chamomile Also Heals Animals

Just like humans, chamomile also heals animals. It is given to them for various spasms, colic, and diarrhea. Animals can also have surface injuries and poorly healing wounds treated with chamomile.

Other Uses of Chamomile

An infusion prepared from chamomile flowers will help not only you, but also plants. You can spray young plant seedlings with the decoction to improve their condition. The decoction has proven effective as prevention against so-called damping off of seedlings. Weakened plants will recover sooner thanks to chamomile, and compost will mature much faster after being watered with chamomile infusion.

Czech Chamomile is Top Quality...

The Czech Republic is among the countries whose chamomile is considered very high quality. Through long-term selection, the "Bohemia" variety was bred here. It was officially approved as early as 1952. The "Bohemia" variety is characterized by high chamazulene content in the blue oil.