Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita): growing, care and uses

Updated on 22 September 2026Published on 20 July 2019

Chamomile growing, with a gray background

Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) flowers from early summer to mid-autumn on stems anywhere between 8 and 40 inches tall, and it sows itself into any free space nearby. Give it full sun and ordinary soil and it asks for virtually no care at all, repaying you with flowers for relaxing, digestion-friendly herbal tea.

Chamomile at a glance
Name	Chamomilla recutita
Family	Asteraceae
Type	perennial
Height	8 to 40 inches (20 to 100 cm)
Exposure	full sun
Soil	ordinary
Flowering	early summer to mid-autumn

Planting chamomile

There are a great many chamomile varieties. The blooming season differs slightly for each, even though they bloom from early summer to mid-autumn.

Exposure for Chamomilla recutita

All the chamomile varieties are inclined to full sun emplacements. Oftentimes, however, light shade is enough, especially if the weather is hot and dry.

You can propagate your plant through crown division.

Sowing chamomile

Chamomile spontaneously self-seeds. You’ll learn that when planted in the ground, it tends to naturally spread out wherever space is available.

To sow chamomile seeds, opt to sow directly in the ground in spring, after any risk of freezing has disappeared.
It is also possible to sow a bit earlier, provided it is protected with a cold frame.
It can then be transplanted to the growing bed at the beginning of summer.

Four ways to start chamomile, and when to use each

Chamomile can be sown, divided, or simply left to spread by itself. The table below sets out what each route involves and when to begin.

Four ways to start chamomile, and when to use each
Method	When	What it involves
Direct sowing	Spring, once frost risk has passed	Seeds sown straight into the ground where the plants are to grow
Sowing under a cold frame	Earlier than spring sowing	Seedlings raised under protection, then moved out at the beginning of summer
Natural self-seeding	No action needed	The plant sows itself and colonises any free space nearby

Whichever route you take, the plant then grows on with almost no follow-up.

Pruning and caring for chamomile

Chamomile requires virtually not the least bit of care because it is an easy-going plant that has the advantage of growing without being followed-up at all.

Cutting off wilted flowers as soon as they wilt. The rationale behind this is that it will spur the plant into growing new flower heads, but this practice isn’t absolutely necessary.

At the end of the season, cut the stems as short as you can and it will burst back in the following spring.

You can cut back your chamomile to the shape of a ball before winter for it to grow in a round shape in spring.

Potted chamomile

Potted chamomile, like all plants that grow and bloom in garden boxes or pots, requires regular watering.

Water when the surface of the soil is dry.
Add flower plant fertilizer once a week in order to stimulate and extend the blooming.

Harvesting chamomile for herbal tea and infusions

Chamomile flowers are harvested when they are still freshly opened while already having matured to the point where is different parts are clearly visible and distinct.

Collect preferably in the morning.
Dry the flowers by spreading them on a flat, dry surface in a well-ventilated spot.
Keeping them away from light is a bonus while drying.
After a few days, when the flowers start turning brown and falling apart, they’re dry enough.
Store the chamomile flowers in a dry, airtight container.

Preparing herbal tea with chamomile

To prepare a good mug of chamomile herbal tea, simply steep about a full table spoon of flowers in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Health benefits and properties of chamomile

Medicinal properties of chamomile

Caring for chamomile, or vice-versa — An easy-going plant that grows with almost no follow-up

This perennial isn’t only a cute flower, it also has activity that has long been qualified as medicinal.

Thanks to its relaxing effects and its benefits for digestion, chamomile is probably one of the most used flowers.

Its impact on sleeping disorders make it a very common plant in evening herbal tea.

And it also helps treat certain anxiety disorders when used over several weeks.

Chamomile even has properties beneficial for plants. It helps fortify and protect them from insects, aphids and cabbage butterfly especially.

Chamomile, a flavorful herb

Its flowers also impart delicious flavors, and the growth of the plant will lead to even more flowers if exposed to the sun.

You can thus use its flowers in mixed salads, infusions or to flavor gravy.

Check out other edible flowers to savor.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should you pick chamomile flowers, and how do you dry them?

Pick the flowers when they have only just opened but are mature enough for their separate parts to be clearly visible, and collect in the morning for preference. Spread them on a flat, dry surface in a well-ventilated spot, ideally out of the light. After a few days they will start turning brown and falling apart, which means they are dry enough to store in an airtight container.

Does chamomile need full sun, or will it grow in shade?

Every chamomile variety leans towards a full sun position, and sunshine also increases the number of flowers the plant produces. That said, light shade is often quite enough, particularly where the weather is hot and dry. Soil can be ordinary, so the exposure is really the only decision that matters.

Can chamomile be grown in a pot?

Yes, but like any plant flowering in a pot or garden box it needs regular watering. Water as soon as the surface of the soil is dry. Adding flower plant fertiliser once a week will stimulate and extend the blooming.

How do you make tea from your own chamomile flowers?

Steep roughly a full tablespoon of flowers in boiling water for about ten minutes. Dried flowers keep for many long months in a dry, airtight container, so a summer harvest carries you through to winter evenings. The same flowers can also go into mixed salads or be used to flavour gravy.

Smart tip about chamomile

Dried flowers of this plant will keep for many long months, and are perfect for your winter evening herbal tea!