I’ve grown a generic german chamomile in my garden for decades, letting it self sew and grow wherever it is or transplant to a more convenient spot. I harvest blossoms to include in my herb tea for me, and the plant to make a drench for the greenhouse to prevent damping off. It’s rather strong - don’t want to leave it to steep very long for drinking. But i’d never considered there being a better flavored option.
But last year i wanted to get some more chamomile growing in a different spot in my expanded orchard area so i bought some new seed (from Fedco) with a name of Bodegold. It grew well, nice plant. But the treat was when i dried the flowers for tea. It’s wonderful! I love just opening the jar and smelling the dried flowers. It reminds me of something but i can’t think what it is. Very pleasant. And the flavor is equally nice and pleasant. So much more refined you could say. Anyway, if you’re interested in a nice tea chamomile i can recommend Bodegold. Sue
The former is typically what is present in commercial teas. The latter is true German Chamomile with the properties often quoted in herbal medicine. Here is a summary of the latter from Holly Phaneuf’s “Herbs Demystified”:
My hot beverage of choice is herb tea so I make a large batch in the fall. It’s a mix of mostly mint, plus lemon balm, clover blossoms, fireweed leaves. Sometimes a few others but that’s pretty much it. Some calendula petals or johnny-jump-ups or such are nice visually. If I feel a bit under the weather I’ll add a bit of yarrow. I keep the chamomile separate since it doesn’t stay mixed as well, plus I’d have it if I needed it in the greenhouse.
Yes, I use it as an anti-fungal in the greenhouse. Mostly for damping-off (yes, I assume it’s the “malady that kills veggie sprouts” you mention). If I see any bit of mold on the surface I mist or water everything with chamomile tea. I usually do it at least once anyway. This winter I had mildew in my lettuce and I sprayed several times with a strong chamomile tea and that helped.
I grow the annual chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, so I’m not sure if that’s what Lois refers to as a persistent weed for her. That hasn’t been the case for me but then I harvest most of it, leaving just enough to self sow for next year. Plus I have a permanent mulch garden. It did grow enthusiastically in a rather barren area I planted where we’d removed some white pines and I’d be happy if it spread out there! Sue
I love Roman chamomile, or Chamaemelum nobile. Oh my, the fragrance is amazing. If I remember correctly there was an palace in England that had this as the ground cover. Walking across that would be a real treat.
I was reading about chamomile lawns the other day (my wife expressed interest in an herb garden). According to the book I was reading (Gardening with Herbs: A Practical Guide by Cathy Buchanan), there’s a kind of low-growing, non-flowering chamomile that works best for lawns. Chamaemelum nobile “Treneague” was the variety that the book recommended - I have no idea how widely available that would be here (the book was published in the UK).
It looked like a cool project, but pretty high maintenance and a bit beyond my gardening skills at the moment…
For those interested in taxonomy: Chamaemelum nobile is commonly called English Chamomile, whereas Matricaria chamomilla is referred to as German or Blue Chamomile. Both are members of the Aster family, although in separate genetic subtribes.
