Susan Belsinger & Tina Marie Wilcox

Observations in Growing Both German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) Side-by-Side in My Garden

Susan Belsinger

Knowing that chamomile was going to be Herb of the Year 2025, I decided to grow both species in my garden alongside one another for comparison purposes. I propagated both German (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) from seed purchased from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in a greenhouse with heat mats underneath the flats. I also sowed Matricaria recutita ‘Bodegold’ (John Scheeper’s Kitchen Garden Seed) as well as St. John’s chamomile, Anthemis sancti-johannes (Grand Prismatic Seed). After sowing, I left the flats in a heated greenhouse, where they were cared for—and when I returned in two weeks, all seeds had germinated.

Once the seeds were of a sturdy, transplantable size (about 6 to 8 weeks old), and the weather was warm enough, I transplanted them into the garden. I made three rows in the garden loam: back row was Matricaria recutita ‘Bodegold’, center row was German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and the front row was Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). I also planted one each of the latter two, side by side in containers.

Matricaria recutita grew taller almost immediately, and the foliage was a bit more sparse on the stems compared to Chamaemelum nobile, which had a lower growth habit with thicker foliage on the stems. The annual Matricaria sent up its flower stalk before the perennial Chamaemelum, and therefore, bloomed a few weeks prior to the lower growing perennial. Flower stems for the German chamomile reached a height of about 20 to 24-inches in the peak of the season, while the Roman chamomile bloomed on stems about 12 inches in height. 

The flowers of German chamomile tend to have dome-shaped centers (though they vary from mounded to really dome-like) and their stems are divided like a corymb. Roman chamomile blooms tend to have flatter centers (though some are mounded domes) and the flowers are on single stems. I found that both the feathery foliage and tiny blooms of both chamomiles have a pleasant apple-like scent that is a tad floral, and suggests hay to my olfactory. The taste is definitely herbaceous and hay like, a bit fruity (apples and maybe even a hint of citrus) with a bitter aftertaste. When dried these characteristics are more concentrated.  

I harvested flowers daily—or every other day—like you have to do for calendula, since they do not open all at once and keep producing blooms. I definitely got a higher yield of flowers from the Matricaria recutita. Once it got hot in August, the plants really slowed down production of leaf and flower. The plants in containers did not grow as large or bloom as prolifically as the ones in the garden earth. 

I look forward to next season—to see if the annual Matricaria recutita dropped seed and will give me volunteer plants—and if the perennial Chamaemelum nobile will return where it was planted. The information herein is from my own personal experience and observations.

Matricaria, One of Many Herbal Harbingers of Spring

Tina Marie Wilcox

German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an herb for tea that grows reliably in the Kitchen Garden at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas. It is a perpetual, self-sowing annual that germinates in late February and early March with chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), chickweed (Stellaria media), corn salad (Valerianella radiata), deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), Johnny-jump-ups (Viola bicolor), and shepherds purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). All of these herbs grow together, rampantly, filling the once cold, barren garden with verdant green, the fragrance of fresh chlorophyll and essential oils, and splash the garden with colorful pigments that refresh the senses and bring on spring fever and a feeding frenzy for all life warming up after winter.

Each species, in its own time and habit, multiply cells to produce stems and leaves, most edible, that support flowers for pollinators, herbalists, and edible flower aficionados. They then set seed throughout May and June. By July, the cool season annuals have distributed seeds for the next season and are already decomposing to feed the soil biome. These herbs live useful lives, providing food and medicine for knowledgeable human beings, nectar for insects, browse for wildlife (and the wild at heart), and biomass for decomposers to regenerate soil.

Unlike most of the spring volunteers mentioned, chamomile did not find its way to the Kitchen Garden on its own. The chamomile in the Kitchen Garden was introduced a couple of decades ago because of an organic gardening experiment in the park’s greenhouse.

A flat of seedlings was infected by a damping-off disease caused by a pathogenic fungus that was encouraged by improper watering. I decided to try watering the surviving seedlings with chamomile sun tea, because I had the flowers in bulk and had read or heard that chamomile helps other plants. In the end, every one of the original seedlings died and—wait for it—were replaced by a full flat of chamomile plants! Being an opportunistic sort, I planted the chamomile in the Kitchen Garden where it has taken up residence. In hindsight, had I bagged and disposed of the infected flat immediately, as would have been the prudent thing to do with fungus-infected plants in the greenhouse, I would not have enjoyed the presence of German chamomile all these years since.

This herb gardener revels in intimate knowledge of the plants in her garden. Herb gardening is science and art, with processes that build soil, observational skills, and the proliferation of life while one is planting, irrigating, and harvesting. The word weeds and the phrase just weeding does not apply.

In March, the Kitchen Garden pathways must first be cleared, because non-gardeners will be coming out from the kitchen to cut rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage and must be able to see how to get around in the garden without walking on the garden beds. A compost basket is filled with most of the volunteer spring ephemerals from the walkways. The chickens love the fresh greens and the insects that cling to the leaves and flowers. The spring compost pile, which starts with carbon from the previous autumn’s deciduous tree leaves, needs the nitrogen from the green leaves to maintain the carbon to nitrogen (C:N) balance of 30:1 for efficient decay. The pathways provide plenty for both the chickens and the compost. 

The chamomile plants are often carefully transplanted from the pathways and from around the perennial herbs to empty spaces in the garden. Thinning plants that are closer than eight-inches apart is important for flower production. The little daisy-like display comes later in the spring, so this is the time to create a mass planting within the Kitchen Garden. You, too, can identify the fine, feathery, fragrant foliage of young chamomile volunteers and set them where you want them to grow and perpetuate.

Take time to sit and watch the bees and butterflies flitting amongst the chamomile and occasionally pinch perfect flowers into the small basket; this mild harvest calms the spirit and provides reward for the gardener.

I have sipped warm chamomile infusions during times of stress and poured it through my hair as a final rinse to see if I could notice more blonde highlights. I found the sensations of warmth and the distinctive aroma pleasing and can report that my sun-bleached hair had streaks of blond anyway and did not respond to the short-term experiment.

I have a friend, Angelia, who, like me, keeps chickens. We were recently discussing how to encourage our hens to be happy while protecting them from predators. (Everyone loves chicken, including birds of prey, racoons, ‘possums, skunks, dogs, bobcats, and ferrets.) Keeping the flock cooped up and in runs keeps them safe from predators most of the time; however, we both think that our chickens get peckish because they cannot live a free-range lifestyle. Angelia shared that she makes chamomile tea for her hens and observes that they seem more content after drinking the infusion. I believe the yellow center in the flowers would make my hens’ yokes an even richer orange in color with the addition of chamomile flowers in their diet. 

I hope I have described the ease of growing and using this charming and practical herb and inspired fellow gardeners to introduce it to their gardens.

These articles are excerpted from the forthcoming Chamomile, Herb of the Year ™ 2025, published by the International Herb Association.

Join Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox for their upcoming webinar: Chamomile, Herb of the Year 2025, January 23, 2025, 1PM Eastern. The sweet fragrance of their flowers has been made into tea for their gentle and soothing virtues for centuries. Besides a lovely digestive tea, the chamomiles have a multitude of beneficial medicinal properties. German chamomile (Matricaria recuitita) and Roman chamomile (Chamamaelum nobile) are easy to cultivate. Susan and Tina Marie will share their experiences of growing both the annual and perennial for apothecary, spa, aromatherapy and culinary use. Our webinars are free to The Herb Society of America members and $10.00 for guests. Become a member today, and enjoy all of our webinars for free along with access to the webinar library with over fifty program titles. To register, visit https://www.herbsociety.org/hsa-learn/herb-education/hsa-webinars/ 

Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.

Photo Credits: 1) Chamomile flowers (S. Belsinger); 2) Chamomile plants ready for the garden (S. Belsinger); 3) Container of chamomile, Roman in the back/German in the front (S. Belsinger); 4) Chamomile planting at the Ozark Folk Center State Park (T. M. Wilcox); 5) Chamomile seedlings (S. Belsinger); 6 & 7) Chamomile foliage and flowers (C. Moore); 8) Happy chickens (Brad Stone).

Culinary artist and writer, Susan Belsinger, and Tina Marie Wilcox met in 1996 when Susan presented herb programs at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Arkansas, where Tina Marie is herbalist and head gardener. Having herbs, gardening, and the pursuit of good food in common, they hit it off, and that was the beginning of a long-distance friendship. Gardening from their respective homes—Susan in Maryland and Tina Marie in Arkansas—they’ve exchanged a lot of seeds, plants, roots, and ideas over the years. 

They have collaborated on presentations across the country from the Smithsonian Institution to Epcot and have written for national publications like The Herb Companion, Herbs for Health, and GRIT, as well as the Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Regions Guides. They coauthored the creative herbal home, which celebrates their living the herbal life. Both women are active members of The Herb Society of America and the International Herb Association because of a shared mission to pass on herbal knowledge and share energy with plant folks.