What's the difference between German and Roman chamomile?

Different species, different growth habits, same characteristic chamomile flowers. German chamomile (Matricaria recutita): annual, upright 60 cm, hollow yellow flower centre — this is the chamomile of tea bags and commercial drying. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): perennial creeping 15 cm, solid yellow flower centre — used for fragrant chamomile lawns, with smaller and slightly less productive flowers. For tea: plant German. For a lawn: plant Roman (the Treneague non-flowering cultivar is the lawn standard).

When and how do I pick chamomile flowers for tea?

When the white petals are just beginning to reflex (curve backwards) away from the yellow centre — peak essential oil concentration. Pick in dry weather, mid-morning after dew has evaporated. Use scissors or your fingernails to nip the flower head off below the petals. Spread in a single layer on trays and dry in a warm dry airy place for 1–2 weeks; store in a sealed jar away from light. One plant produces enough flowers for several pots of tea per season; six plants gives a year's supply.

Will chamomile come back every year?

German chamomile is annual — each plant lives one season and dies. But it self-seeds so prolifically that the colony perpetuates indefinitely without effort: a single un-deadheaded plant produces hundreds of viable seeds. Roman chamomile (the lawn species) is a true perennial that returns from the rootstock each spring. If your chamomile is creeping low and feathery, it's Roman; if it's upright 60 cm and dies after flowering, it's German.

Can I drink chamomile tea every day?

For most healthy adults, yes — it's one of the safest herbal teas. Traditional UK use is daily and well-tolerated. Avoid or consult a doctor if you're pregnant, on blood-thinning medication (warfarin), allergic to other daisy-family plants (asters, ragweed, marigolds), or about to undergo surgery (within 2 weeks). Some people develop hay-fever-style allergies to chamomile pollen. Children: small quantities of weak tea are traditional but check with your pharmacist for very young ones.

My chamomile is getting mildew — what's wrong?

Crowded planting + damp summer + still air. Thin plants to 20–30 cm apart for good airflow. Water at the base, not over the foliage. Avoid feeding (lush growth is mildew-prone). Mildewed plants can still be cropped (mildew is on the leaves, not the flowers) but flower production drops. Pull badly affected plants and rely on the self-sown seedlings the following year.

Is chamomile good for my garden?

Yes — multiple benefits. The flowers are excellent for bees and hoverflies (especially syrphid flies, which are major aphid predators). German chamomile is also called the plant physician in old herbals because growing it near other plants is supposed to make them more vigorous and disease-resistant — likely an effect of the beneficial insects it attracts. Plant a patch in or near the veg garden for pollinator and pest-control benefits.

German chamomile

Matricaria chamomilla

herb☀️ full-sun🪴 well drained📏 small🌡️ RHS H4–H5

📋Quick Facts

Height

0.3-0.5m

Spread

0.3-0.3m

Water

💧 Minimal watering

Hardiness

Zone 2-8

About

Sow German chamomile direct from March to May, in a sunny well-drained spot in poor-to-ordinary soil — it's an easy hardy annual grown for the daisy-like flowers used in classic chamomile tea. German chamomile is moderately hardy (RHS H4) and grows to 60 cm tall, producing small white-petalled flowers with bright yellow domed centres from June through September. Don't confuse with Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) — the perennial creeping form used for chamomile lawns; same flowers, different plant, different uses. Pick flowers when the white petals start to reflex backwards from the yellow centre (peak essential oil), dry on trays in a warm dry place for 1–2 weeks, store in a sealed jar. German chamomile self-seeds so a single sowing perpetuates indefinitely. Excellent for bees and hoverflies. Avoid in pregnancy and if allergic to other daisy family plants (asters, ragweed).

Top tip

German chamomile prefers light soils and sun; deadhead or cut for drying to keep plants flowering.

Also known as: Matricaria chamomilla, Rumianek pospolity, Camomilla tedesca, Camomila-alemã, Camomille matricaire, German chamomile, Echte Kamille, Manzanilla alemana

How to grow german chamomile

1
Pick German over Roman for tea
German chamomile (Matricaria recutita): annual, upright 60 cm, hollow yellow flower centre, the standard for tea — the flowers harvested commercially. The choice if you want a herb-tea crop. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile): perennial, creeping 15 cm, solid yellow flower centre, traditional for chamomile lawns and seats. Flowers are smaller, less productive, and milder-flavoured but still usable. The choice if you want a fragrant lawn. For tea, plant German. They look similar — don't substitute.
2
Sow direct from March to May
Surface-sow seed direct where you want plants to grow — German chamomile needs light to germinate, so don't cover. Press lightly into damp soil. Sow in March–May for summer flowering, or in September for an autumn-sown crop that overwinters as small plants and flowers earlier the following year.
3
Choose a sunny, well-drained spot
Full sun. Poor or ordinary soil — rich soil produces lush growth and fewer flowers. German chamomile grows wild on disturbed sandy soils, so it tolerates almost anything that drains. Spacing 20–30 cm after thinning.
4
Thin seedlings to 20 cm
Germination in 7–14 days. Thin to one plant every 20 cm when seedlings have 2–3 true leaves. Overcrowded plants flower poorly and are prone to mildew in damp summers.
5
Pick flowers at the right stage
The critical detail. Pick flowers when the white petals are still flat or have just started reflexing downwards away from the yellow centre — this is peak essential oil concentration. Younger flowers (petals upright or flat) have less aroma; older flowers (petals fully reflexed, going brown) have started to drop their essential oils. Pick in dry weather, mid-morning after dew has evaporated.
6
Dry on trays
Spread freshly-picked flowers in a single layer on trays or muslin in a warm dry airy place — an airing cupboard, kitchen ceiling, or a low-heat dehydrator works well. After 1–2 weeks the flowers should feel papery and crumble easily. Store in a sealed jar away from light.
7
Brew the tea
Standard ratio: 1 tablespoon dried flowers (or 2 tablespoons fresh) per cup of boiling water. Steep covered for 5 minutes (covering keeps the essential oils in). Strain. Honey complements wonderfully. Traditional uses: calming before sleep, soothing for upset digestion, gentle anti-inflammatory.
8
Let it self-seed for next year
German chamomile self-seeds prolifically — once you have it, you have it forever in that spot. Let the last flowers go to seed (don't pick or deadhead in late September) and a new generation appears the following spring. To stop self-seeding, deadhead all flowers before they set seed.

Common questions

Pest Resilience

4/5 — Good resilience

Few pest issues; aphids occasionally but rarely problematic.

Visual Characteristics

🍳

Culinary

Culinary Use

Herbal tea, apple desserts, infused cream, cocktails, ice cream

The german chamomile year in your garden

Dispatching imaginary bots to check your garden out...

What to do now

How to Propagate

🌰Seed

Easy

Hardiness Zones

H1a (tender)H7 (very hardy)

H1a

H1b

H1c

RHS H4–H5

USDA 7 equivalent