Herb, Chamomile (Roman or English)

Chamomile is the name applied to two distinctly different plants. German Chamomile, sometimes called wild chamomile or mayweed is a tall, erect annual reaching a height of 2-3 ft. Roman or English chamomile is a low growing (9 in.) perennial with a much stronger fragrance than the German chamomile. Harvesting History sells Roman Chamomile. The name, chamomile, comes from the Greek meaning “ground apple”, and though the blossoms and the foliage have a lovely apple-like fragrance, the plant is in no way related to the apple.

Chamomile tea is the best known application of the herb, but historically it has been used in many different ways. The Spanish use it to flavor a very fine sherry. In medieval England it was used as a “strewing” herb to freshen the air in common rooms where crowds of people who bathed infrequently would congregate. Before refrigeration, meat was often immersed in chamomile tea as a way to eliminate the rancid odor of spoilage. Chamomile has also been known to be an excellent insect repellant.

Perhaps, the greatest benefit of chamomile is that it is considered the ideal companion plant. Ancient herbalists called it “the plant’s physician” because few plants could contribute more to the health of a garden than chamomile.