This document discusses two types of chamomile - German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). German chamomile is a cool-season annual native to Europe and Western Asia that grows 6-20 inches tall. It has aromatic, pinnately divided leaves and small yellow disc flowers with optional white ray flowers. Roman chamomile is an evergreen perennial native to Europe that grows 3-6 inches tall with a 12 inch spread. It has aromatic, pinnately divided leaves and 1 inch flowers with yellow discs and white or cream rays from June to September. Both plants prefer sunny locations and are propagated from seed or division.

1. Chamomile

2. 2 Types of Chamomile
used medicinally
Chamomile - from the Greek for ground-apple
(refering to apple-like scent)
Roman Chamomile
German Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile (syn.
Matricaria recutita
Anthemis nobilis )
Used
Used more in England
more frequently in U.
Stronger odor and flavor
S.
than German

3. German Chamomile
Matricaria recutita
Botanical Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae)
Type: Cool-season Annual plant
Origin: Native to Europe and Western Asia
Naturalized to most of the United States

4. German Chamomile
Plant Description
Size: 6-20quot; X 6-20quot; Foliage: Pinnately divided leaf
Aromatic - apple-scented
Form: Bushy and upright Light green

5. German Chamomile
Plant Description
Flower: Infloresence of disc and ray flowers
Small yellow disc flowers
White ray flowers (may not be present or visible)
Ray Flower
Disc Flowers

6. German Chamomile
Plant Description
Growing conditions: Sunny to partly sunny location
Hardiness: annual
Propagation: Grows from seed, sow in spring; plants will
readily reseed

7. Roman Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
Botanical Family: Aster Family (Asteraceae)
Type: Evergreen perennial
Origin: Native to Europe
Naturalized in some areas in US

8. Roman Chamomile
Plant Description
Size: 3-6 inches tall with 12 inch spread
Form: Low-growing groundcover
Foliage: Pinnately divided leaf
Aromatic - apple-scented
Flower: Infloresence of disc and ray flowers, 1quot; across
Small yellow disc flowers
Silver-white to cream ray flowers
Flowers June to September

9. Roman Chamomile
Plant Description
Growing conditions: Sun to part shade in well-drained soil
Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Propagation: Seed, division, or stem cuttings
(Division of offshoots from mother plant is easiest)

10. Vocab
Annual plant - completes entire life cycle in 1 growing season
Pinnately divided leaf - feather-like leaf; leaflets attached to either
side of a center stalk
Inflorescence - group of flowers on stem
Disc flower - flowers in center of daisy flower (the brown center on a
sunflower)
Ray flower - flowers that surround the disc of a daisy flower (the
yellow quot;petalsquot; of a sunflower)
Propagation - making more plants
Perennial - plant that lives more than 2 years, usually refers to
herbaceous perennial, ie a plant that dies back to the ground every fall
and regrows from roots in the spring
Division - propagation technique in which mother plant is cut into
smaller new plants

11. Sources
Mimi's ppt
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8110.pdf
http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1311.htm
http://cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-221.pdf
http://courses.missouristate.
edu/ClydetteAlsup/AGH325/ID_Pages/Asteraceae_Matricaria_chamomilla.doc
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8112.html
Flora
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=B144
For very specific growing info (for German Chamomile) - http://ecocrop.fao.
org/ecocrop/srv/en/dataSheet?id=7637

12. Image Credits:
1. Slide 1 - Steve Brace
2. Slide 2 - Tico Bassie