Botanical profile

Chamomile

Latin name
Matricaria chamomilla
Common name
Chamomile
Type
Annual
Family
Asteraceae

Chamomile is an aromatic and medicinal plant highly prized for its delicate blooms, sweet fragrance, and light appearance in the garden. Its small white flowers with yellow centers resemble tiny daisies and add a natural touch to herb gardens, vegetable patches, edible flowerbeds, and country-style arrangements. Renowned for its fragrant flowers, it is often grown for homemade infusions, herbal tea blends, and gardens dedicated to useful plants.

Easy to grow, chamomile prefers a sunny to slightly semi-shaded location, in light, well-drained, and moderately fertile soil. It requires little maintenance and can be easily integrated into borders, pots, herb containers, or directly into the vegetable garden. Regular harvesting of the flowers promotes longer production and allows you to enjoy its floral fragrance throughout the season.

Both decorative, aromatic, and melliferous, chamomile attracts pollinators and helps create a vibrant and biodiverse garden. Its natural habit pairs well with herbs, edible flowers, light perennials, and medicinal plants. It is an essential plant for adding a soft, fragrant, and traditional touch to a gourmet, medicinal, or natural garden.

Care guide

Care level
Easy

Choosing this plant

Main benefit
Fragrant white flowers ideal for herbal teas and natural gardens
Vegetable garden, medicinal garden, edible flowers, herbal tea, border, pollinator garden
Container growing
Container growing possible in a well-drained pot
Seasonal care
Pick the flowers as they open; deadhead spent blooms to encourage further flowering
Growing conditions

Light, soil, water and hardiness

Hardiness zone
Not hardy
Exposure
Full sun
Watering
Regular; keep the soil slightly moist without making it soggy
Humidity
Average moisture; tolerates slightly dry soil once established
Fertilization
Light compost for seedlings; avoid excess fertilizer
Soil type
Light, poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil
Soil pH
Neutral to slightly alkaline
Minimum temperature
32 °F
Propagation method
No-till seeding
Plant appearance

Blooming, foliage and shape

Blooming period
Summer to early fall
Flower color
White with yellow heart
Fruiting
Seeds at the end of the season
Foliage color
Finely chopped green
Foliage type
Obsolete
Shape
Light, branched and upright habit
Garden structure

Size and growth

Height
30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 inches)
Width
20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches)
Growth rate
Rapid growth
Vegetable garden and yield

Companion planting, spacing and harvest

Companion plants
Cabbage, onions, mint, marigolds
Plants to avoid
Very invasive plants or crops requiring constantly waterlogged soil
Spacing
20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 inches)
Harvest period
Flowers from early summer to autumn
Not recommended for pets
Not recommended for pets

Pets

Pollinators
Attracts or supports pollinating insects

Pollinators

The availability of our plants varies depending on arrivals, seasons, nursery production and supplier availability. Some varieties may be offered for a limited time only, depending on their natural cycle or current stock. These plant profiles are designed to guide and inspire you when choosing plants for the garden, landscaping projects, containers or long-lasting outdoor arrangements.