The blooms of German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) are a dainty and lovely addition to the sunny garden. They will reseed themselves without becoming a nuisance, and the young plants are surprisingly hardy. New plants will generally appear in late summer to early fall and will remain green throughout winter, readying themselves to burst into bloom by late spring.

Chamomile plants in the garden attract beneficials such as hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which prey on harmful insect pests.

Chamomile flowers taken as a tea has been noted as an aid in relaxing tense muscles and in reducing the symptoms of stress, anxiety and exhaustion. It also has the beneficial action of balancing acidity in the body, reducing the symptoms of indigestion, colic and gastritis and aiding in the stimulation of a waning appetite. It can also be used externally as an anti-inflammatory, an aid in the symptomatic relief of eczema and as a soothing compress for tired eyes.

You might even try sharing a bit of Chamomile tea with your seedlings. Chamomile contains a concentrated source of sulfur which is a natural fungus fighter; thus, Chamomile tea has been reported to be an excellent preventative for damping-off disease in humid planting areas. Chamomile tea can also be used as a seed soak to remove naturally occurring seed coat fungus prior to planting.

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German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) bears many similarities to the closely related Chamaemelum nobile, including similar fragrance, medicinal uses, and appearance. They also produce nearly identical small white daisy-like flowers with gold center disks. German Chamomile differs from Chamaemelum nobile in that it is taller, easily growing to 12 or more inches, whereas Chamaemelum nobile is usually less than a foot tall and works well as a luscious, thick, spreading ground cover or lawn substitute. In addition, German Chamomile is an annual, whereas Chamaemelum nobile is a perennial herb hardy in zones 4a-9b. Both plants are attractive to bees and reportedly help to repel flies. German Chamomile is a common source of herbal chamomile tea, although Chamaemelum nobile can be used for this purpose as well.

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