🌿 Chamomile (Roman)

Chamaemelum nobile

herbs perennial

☀️ Sun

full sun to partial shade

💧 Water

low to moderate

🗺️ Zones

4-9

🪴 Soil Type

sandy loam

🧪 Soil pH

6.0-7.5

💧 Drainage

well-drained

📏 Spacing

6-12 inches

📐 Height

6-12 inches

📅 Days to Maturity

60-90 days

🍴 Edible Parts

🍽️ flowers (tea)🍽️ leaves

🤝 Companions (8)

🤝 Cabbage

Chamomile improves brassica growth and flavor; attracts hoverflies whose larvae eat cabbage worms and aphids

🤝 Cucumber

Prevents damping-off in cucumber seedlings; attracts beneficial insects that pollinate cucurbits

🤝 Onion

Chamomile's antifungal properties help prevent onion rot; different root zones minimize competition

🤝 Basil

Increases basil's essential oil production; chamomile tea sprayed as foliar feed boosts basil vigor

🤝 Wheat

Chamomile growing near wheat increases grain yield and essential oil content of wheat (documented in biodynamic farming)

🤝 Rose

Traditional pairing — chamomile tea sprayed on roses prevents black spot and powdery mildew; attracts beneficial insects

🤝 Apple Tree

Understory chamomile attracts pollinators; antifungal properties help prevent apple scab when used as mulch

🤝 Mint

Chamomile's mild nature balances mint's aggressive growth habit when interplanted in containers; both make excellent tea

⚠️ Keep Apart (2)

⚠️ Carrot

Both attract similar pests (aphids, carrot fly relatives); planting together concentrates pest pressure

⚠️ Parsnip

Shared Apiaceae pest susceptibility with carrot family members nearby

💊 Medicinal Uses

Contains chamazulene, bisabolol, apigenin. Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, mild sedative. Used for anxiety, insomnia, digestive cramps, skin inflammation, and mouth ulcers. Apigenin binds to GABA receptors. Approved by German Commission E for gastrointestinal and skin conditions.

📜 History & Traditional Uses

One of the oldest medicinal herbs — used in ancient Egypt (dedicated to sun god Ra), Greece, and Rome. Anglo-Saxons considered it one of nine sacred herbs. Traditional 'strewing herb' for fragrance. Peter Rabbit's mother gave him chamomile tea.

📝 Notes

Roman chamomile is a low-growing perennial ground cover. German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an annual — both have similar uses. Makes an excellent living lawn alternative. Walking on it releases apple-like fragrance. 'Treneague' is a non-flowering lawn variety.