Meet the Plants: Chamomile

Chamomile has a funny kind of nuance for such a small, unassuming flower. It's calming, but it's not one-note about it, there's a warmth and a gentle bitterness underneath the softness. Its German name, alles zutraut, translates roughly to "capable of anything," which feels like a lot to ask of something that looks like a tiny daisy.

But chamomile has been earning that reputation for over 3,500 years, back to the ancient Egyptian texts that recorded its use to honor the gods and treat illness. Gentle, it turns out, doesn't mean powerless.

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Meet Chamomile, Botanically Speaking

Chamomile belongs to the same family as echinacea, dandelion, and calendula, and its small, daisy-like flowers, white petals with a yellow center, smell faintly of apple. The two varieties you'll run into are:

• German chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Matricaria chamomilla)
• Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

They're often confused for each other thanks to the shared name, and while they share calming and digestive benefits, they're different plants with different chemical profiles and are not quite perfect substitutes for each other.

Most of the chamomile tea on the shelves, and most of the research behind chamomile's reputation, is German chamomile, so that's what we're talking about here.

It grows on long, slender stems with feathery, spindly-looking leaves, deceptively delicate for a plant that can spread into dense mats up to three feet wide. 

Chamomile is also considered a dynamic nutrient accumulator, meaning it draws specific minerals up from the soil and concentrates them in its own tissue. Some gardeners plant it near other crops for the boost it seems to give its neighbors.

It's also a magnet for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and the more you pick it, the more it flowers, so it rewards a heavy hand.

Chamomile In The Kitchen

Chamomile's apple-and-honey aroma makes it a natural fit for sweets: cakes, cookies, even chamomile-infused ice cream. But it holds its own in savory territory too, whether that's a chamomile salt rub on fish or a dash of it in a bitters blend for cocktails. 

English monks in the Middle Ages brewed beer with it, a practice some brewers still keep alive today. It's a more versatile pantry herb than its bedtime-tea reputation lets on.

Try this recipe: Orange Upside Down Cake with Chamomile Honey

The Medicinal Uses of Chamomile

Chamomile's best-known trait is its calming effect on both body and mind, useful for everything from a tense stomach to a stressful day to trouble winding down at night.

The calming reputation is backed by real research: studies have found it can meaningfully improve sleep quality, ease anxiety and low mood, and even help patients manage the emotional weight of chronic illness.

Its sweet, floral scent carries some of that same calming effect on its own, which is part of why it shows up so often in aromatherapy blends alongside lavender.

The same gentle, settling quality extends into digestion. As a bitter and a carminative, chamomile signals the digestive system to get to work, supporting the release of digestive enzymes and bile and helping to ease gas, bloating, and cramping along the way. 

Some research also points to chamomile's role in supporting more stable blood sugar after meals.

And its anti-inflammatory properties make it useful well beyond the gut: chamomile has a long history of easing PMS symptoms and menstrual cramping, calming inflamed skin and minor irritation, and even soothing gum inflammation when used as a mouth rinse.

Chamomile is generally considered gentle enough for nearly everyone, including children, which is part of why it's stayed such a staple in modern herbal medicine.

✿ A Cautionary Note on Chamomile: If you're allergic to ragweed, chamomile is in the same family and may trigger a similar reaction, so it's worth being cautious. As always, check with your healthcare provider before using any herb medicinally if you're pregnant, nursing, have a preexisting health condition, or are taking prescription medication.

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The information in this post is for educational purposes only and hasn't been evaluated by the FDA. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Talk to your healthcare provider before using any herb medicinally, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.