Photo: "The Camomile Lawn." by John K Thorne · Public Domain Mark

Herb · Annual-tea

German Chamomile

Open-pollinated · Asteraceae

The easiest herb to grow from seed and the gateway to herbal tea gardening. Annual — distinct from Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile, a perennial in Prompt 6). Grows upright 12-24 inches, produces abundant small daisy-like flowers over 6-8 weeks. Flowers harvested for tea, essential oils, and topical preparations. Apple-scented foliage. Thrives in lean soil — excess nitrogen produces foliage at expense of flowers. Self-sows aggressively in zones 5b-8a.

At a Glance

Days to Maturity

60–65 days

Sun

6+ hours

Full sun

Spacing

8 "

Container

Yes

1+ gallon pot

Height

1–2 ft

Zone Planting Guide

Your USDA Zone:

Growing Guide

Germination

Germination Time 7–14 days

Optimal Temp 64°F

Watering

Weekly Water 0.5–1 "

Needs Low

Method Light watering.

Soil

pH Range 5.6–7.5

Soil Type Well-drained, sandy loam, average to lean

Resilience

Heat: Moderate Cold: Moderate Drought: High

Common Problems

powdery-mildew

Cause: White coating. Humid conditions with poor airflow.

Prevention: Wider spacing. Good airflow. Neem oil preventive.

slugs

Cause: Wet conditions.

Prevention: Iron phosphate baits. Morning watering.

aggressive-self-sowing

Cause: Feature, not bug — but can overtake garden areas.

Prevention: Deadhead before seed maturity if unwanted. Or embrace it as low-maintenance naturalization.

Nutrition

Feeding Intensity Light feeder

Harvest

Flowers with white petals fully reflexed (pointing downward) and yellow center dome prominent. This is peak essential oil content.

Storage 3 days

Companion Planting

Good Companions

Marketmore 76 cucumber Traditional companion.

Avoid Planting Near

Spearmint Both spread aggressively — compete for space.

Sources

university Missouri Botanical Garden — Matricaria recutita seed_catalog Johnny's — Common Chamomile seed_catalog Johnny's — Chamomile Key Growing Information

More Herbs

German Chamomile Planting Dates by Zone

Planting dates for German Chamomile vary by USDA hardiness zone. Select your zone below for frost dates, start-indoors timing, and a full monthly planting calendar.

Zone 5A Zone 5B Zone 6A Zone 6B Zone 7A Zone 7B Zone 8A Zone 8B Zone 9A Zone 9B

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