Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. It can grow each year from seeds or last for a few years. The stems are 30-40 cm tall. The lower leaves do not have stalks and oblong or sword shaped and 3-4 cm long by 2 cm wide. They are divided into segments. The flower heads are 1-2 cm across and white and yellow.

It is rich in Vitamin A and C.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in fields and forests between 1,800-3,300 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Is., Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Crete, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Europe (country/location of origin), Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mali, Manchuria, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Serbia, Siberia, Sicily, Sinai, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Xinjiang, Yugoslavia

How it is used for food

The flowers are used to make a nutritional drink. They are dried and used for a tea drink. They are also eaten raw and added to salads and used in casseroles and stir fries. The leaves are dried for tea drinks.

It is widely cultivated.

Edible parts

Flowers, flowers - tea, leaves - tea

How it is grown

It can be grown by seeds sown directly or put in a nursery and transplanted. Because the seeds are very small they can be mixed with sand before sowing. Sowing 4-6 cm deep is suitable. A spacing of 20-30 cm is suitable.

Its other names

Local names

Babacya, Ciceki mast, Gvirila, Hermanek pravy, Kamille, Kamillean, Kamomili, Kummelid, Manzanilla, Papatya, Ramonki, Ramunek, Ramunukei, Romashka, Romashka aptechnaia, Rum'janok, Scented mayweed

Synonyms

Chamomilla officinalis K. Koch; Chamomilla recutita (L.) Rauschert; and others