Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, chamomile is a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing chamomile.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Does Chamomile Belong To?
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla [German chamomile] and Chamaemelum nobile [Roman chamomile]) belongs to the Asteraceae family, also known as the daisy family.
Some of its relatives include sunflowers, lettuce, and calendula.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Chamomile?
The minimum container depth recommended for chamomile is 8 inches.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Chamomile?
Some of chamomile's best companions are as follows:
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and other Brassicas
- Cucumber
- Onion and garlic, as chamomile improves their flavor when grown nearby
- Beans like green beans
- Kale
- Tomato, as chamomile prevents blight in tomatoes
- Potato
- Rose
- Mints like peppermint and spearmint
- Basil
- Fruit trees like cherry and apple
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Chamomile?
Chamomile is versatile. It attracts beneficial insects and only improves the plants around it, as seen in the diversity of plant families represented in the previous section.
Chamomile is not adversely affected by most other plants either. An exception to this is fennel. Chamomile's growth may be stunted if grown very close to fennel due to fennel's allelopathic effects.
What Soil Conditions Does Chamomile Need?
Chamomile prefers rich, dry soil with a pH between 5.6 and 7.5.
How Long Does Chamomile Take to Germinate?
Chamomile takes 2-3 weeks to germinate at a temperature of 45-75°F.
How Much Sun Does Chamomile Need?
Chamomile can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, it grows fastest in full sun. It will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate.
Sun recommendations can vary by region. In regions or seasons where the temperature is consistently over 70°F, afternoon shade is recommended to prevent bolting.
How Much Water Does Chamomile Need?
When young, chamomile needs 1 inch of water per week.
Once it is established, it is drought-tolerant. At that point, it should be allowed to dry out fully between watering sessions.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Chamomile?
Chamomile grows fastest in temperatures of 60-70°F.
This is its ideal temperature range. Although it will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, the growth could be slower or even stunted.
Most chamomiles are hardy to 30°F once established. But they will grow more slowly when temperatures are 30-55°F than they would in their ideal range.
How Tall Does Chamomile Get?
The average height of chamomile is 8-24 inches.
Is Chamomile Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Chamomile is an annual herb, meaning that it starts and ends its life in the same year.
How Does Chamomile Reproduce?
Chamomile reproduces by seed.
How Much Chamomile is Produced Per Plant?
Each chamomile seed that germinates and grows to maturity produces 1 flower and several leaves.
Can Chamomile Be Ingested?
Chamomile flowers and leaves are edible.
Chamomile flowers and leaves have nervine, antispasmodic, and carminative properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and tinctures. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a chamomile tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting chamomile flowers or leaves. Chamomile is generally recognized as safe, even for children.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of chamomile rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for chamomile here!
Chamomile is featured in these Plant to Plate articles: