Chamomile Herb of the Year


Chamomile is celebrated worldwide for its soothing, calming qualities. Every day, millions enjoy its delicate, relaxing tea, and its gentle yet powerful properties make it a star ingredient in countless skin and hair care products. Chamomile is also a staple in aromatherapy because it calms the mind and rejuvenates the spirit.

The name “chamomile” comes from the Greek chamaimelon, meaning “ground apple,” a nod to its low-growing habit and sweet, apple-like fragrance. This herb has been treasured for centuries. Over 2,000 years ago, the Greek physician Dioscorides praised chamomile for its “warming and relieving strength” and its use for digestive issues, fevers, and more. Its roots as a healing plant may go even further back, to ancient Egypt and the Neolithic Age.

Today, German chamomile is the most popular variety, loved for its ability to settle the stomach and quiet the mind after a long day. Its anti-inflammatory compounds have been studied for benefits ranging from easing anxiety and improving sleep, to supporting skin health and managing chronic conditions like diabetes and eczema. Roman chamomile, another favourite, is prized for its beauty and versatility in the garden – imagine an aromatic, mat-forming chamomile lawn!

Native to Europe and parts of North Africa, chamomile’s uses are as diverse as its forms. Some varieties make delightful teas, others are stunning garden additions, and all have unique qualities to inspire herbalists, gardeners, and wellness enthusiasts alike.

This year, let chamomile inspire you. Unwind with its comforting tea, brighten your garden with its delicate blooms, and explore its timeless benefits for your health and well-being.


Here are the currently available varieties of chamomile!


German Chamomile

The most prolific producer of flowers; the flowers can be harvested and mixed into a sedating and soothing tea. Chamomile is known to ease insomnia, depression, headaches, and anxiety. A strong, cooled, chamomile tea can be washed through your hair to lighten and highlight blonde locks. If left to seed, this annual will re-seed itself into the soil, and you will have abundant growth again the following year Order it now!


Boldegold Chamomile

This German variety is improved with stronger and more uniform upright growth habit, higher yield, larger flowers and greater oil content. Bodegolds delicate apple aroma is a familiar aroma in sherry producers and can be brewed into a relaxing tea. Bodegolds flowers contain up to 0.7% essential oil high in bisabololoxide and other valuable medicinal compounds known to treat inflamation, stomach disorders, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Order it now!


Zloty Lan Chamomile

Unique for its high essential oil content (0.8-1.5%), zloty lan is a high yield polish variety used in commercial production. Extensively researched for its medicinal anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties while adored for its aroma. This variety radiates with colour, producing large golden, oil-rich flowers that contain chamazulene—an anti-inflammatory agent that has a blue appearance that may be recognized in the common “azulene” aftershave ointment. Dried flowers can be brewed into a relaxing tea. Has strong upright growth habit. Order it now!


Roman Chamomile

Like other chamomiles, the Roman variety is popular for its calming effect both on the body and mind. Its antispasmotic makes it effective for muscle and digestive pain. Its medicinal properties don’t end there! Also beneficial for inflammation, infection and more. A steam inhalation infused with its essential oil can help nourish the skin and mucus membranes while its antibacterial and anticatarrhal action can help clear infection and eliminate mucus buildup. When added to a hot bath, chamomile aids in muscle pain relief. Flowering tops can be used to make a relaxing tea. Roman chamomile is characterized by its creeping growth pattern, and sweet woody smell; a traditional English groundcover herb; useful for filling spaces between flagstones, cracks, and paths. Avoid matted growth by trimming down or mowing. Order it now!


Double Chamomile

This Roman chamomile cultivar is an old variety grown commercially in England for tea and medicinal use. Prolific and self seeding, double chamomile is conventional and easy to grow. White flowers are fragrant, and should be harvested as they open for the freshest brews, creams, and extracts. Creeping, mat forming growth habit which makes it a good lawn replacement and border option. Order it now!


English Chamomile

A non-flowering cultivar of Roman chamomile, Treneague is characterized by its low evergreen, fern-like foliage and forms a fragrant mat reminiscent of sweet honey. Light golden green webs grow out radially like florets. English gardens can be found swarded with it; can be mowed and maintained much like a standard lawn. Order it now!


Austrian Chamomile

This chamomile is native to much of central and eastern Europe, as well as parts of Turkey. At first glance it looks like regular chamomile, but the whitish hairs on its leaves and its grayish-green appearance distinguish it. The plant emits a pleasant scent, and the flowers are commonly used for tea much like traditional chamomile. In Turkey the tea is used for cough, abdominal pain, and ovarian diseases. Interestingly, a recent animal study showed that it is effective for the treatment of endometriosis. Order it now!


Corn Chamomile

This native chamomile, found in Europe and the Mediterranean region, resembles regular chamomile, but with a milder, subtler scent. The tea made from the flowers is excellent for digestive disorders. In Italy, it’s commonly used for anxiety and insomnia, while in France, it is prized for reducing fever. Research has shown that simple cold infusions of the herb in water have potential as a natural herbicide, as they completely suppress the germination of certain weeds. Order it now!


Moroccan Chamomile

This stunning garden plant produces masses of fragrant, gold-yellow flowers throughout the summer. As each flower appears, new shoots emerge around it like spokes on a wheel, creating a fascinating multiplying effect as more flowers continue to develop. All of these vibrant blooms are beautifully set against aromatic, feathery foliage. In Morocco, where this it is native, this chamomile is used as a garnish and for its medicinal benefits. An infusion made from the flowers is used to treat digestive disorders, liver diseases, and diabetes. Order it now!


St. John’s Chamomile

This rare chamomile, native to the mountains of Bulgaria, is considered endangered in the wild. However, our seeds are sourced from sustainably cultivated plants, which helps protect and preserve the species. With its bright orange flowers and aromatic, fern-like foliage, it makes a striking addition to any sunny garden or container. The vibrant petals are perfect for garnishing salads, while the dried flowers can be used in potpourri or for natural dyeing. Order it now!


Golden Marguerite (Dyer’s Chamomile)

Cheerful bright yellow daisies are a perfect choice to brighten a border garden. Begins blooming in early summer and continues until the fall. Thrives in poor soils and full sun. Loves dry conditions and does not do well in humidity. Makes wonderful cut flowers and as its name suggests, it yields excellent yellow or gold dyes for fabrics. Order it now!


Pineapple Weed (Wild Chamomile)

This wild form of chamomile has a marvelous, sweet pineapple-chamomile scent. Both the leaves and flowers are used to brew a delicious tea similar to true chamomile. Used as an aid to digestion, and to promote relaxation and to aid sleep. Contains apigenin, a compound known to help reduce stress and improve sleep. When applied externally, it provides pain relief and soothes insect bites and irritated skin. Its unique pineapple flavour isn’t just for tea it works remarkably well in the kitchen too. Try it as a seasoning for roasted carrots and meats, in vinegars, or in sweet syrups and marmalade. Order it now!



The Herb of the Year for 2024 was Yarrow!

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